20100205
presstv

Over 100 people in Nigeria pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit terrorism in last month's religious violence in Jos, prosecutors say.

The 108 suspects were charged with conspiracy and possession of illegal firearms on Friday in Abuja. The defendants all pleaded not guilty, the Associated Press reported.

According to Nigerian law, the firearm charge carries a five-year prison sentence while conspiracy to commit terrorism charges carry a life sentence upon conviction.

Hundreds of people died in clashes between Christians and Muslims in Jos in January. The fighting started when Christian youths protested against the construction of a mosque in a district of the city of half-a-million.

Nigerian Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, who took over as president temporarily in the absence of Umaru Yar'Adua, had to dispatch troops to Jos to restore order.

Medical and aid workers and the Human Rights Watch (HRW) say that at least 550 bodies have been recovered so far. The HRW said that most of the victims were Muslims.