ABUJA (Reuters) – Car bomb explosions killed eight people and injured three near a parade in Nigeria’s capital on Friday marking the 50th anniversary of independence, police said.

Two blasts, which also destroyed three cars, came an hour after the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Nigeria’s biggest rebel militia, warned it had planted several bombs and told people to evacuate the area.

A Reuters cameraman said security forces and firemen in the capital, Abuja, had been trying to douse a fire in a car after the first explosion when a second blast hit, about 1 km (0.6 miles) from the parade ground where hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries sat.

“Two car bombs exploded and eight people are confirmed dead,” Abuja police spokesman Jimoh Moshood told Reuters.

The lavish celebrations with army bands, dancing children and air force displays continued although President Goodluck Jonathan, who faces an election early next year, left in an armoured limousine without making a scheduled national address.

Earlier, Jonathan, dressed in his traditional black fedora hat and dark suit, had inspected ranks of soldiers from the back of an open-top jeep.

MEND has been fighting for years for a greater share of oil revenues from the impoverished Niger Delta, home to Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry.

ABUJA (Reuters) – Eight people were killed and three injured in car bomb explosions that hit Nigeria’s capital on Friday near a parade marking the 50th anniversary of independence, police said.

Two explosions, which also destroyed three cars, came an hour after the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Nigeria’s biggest rebel militia, issued an email warning saying it had planted several bombs and telling people to evacuate the area.

A Reuters cameraman said security forces and firemen in the capital, Abuja, had been trying to douse a fire in a car after the first explosion when a second blast hit.

“Two car bombs exploded and eight people are confirmed dead,” Abuja police spokesman Jimoh Moshood told Reuters.

The lavish celebrations of military bands, troupes of dancing children and air force displays continued as planned.

Given its warning, the finger of blame will rest heavily on MEND, which has been fighting for years for a greater share of oil revenues from the impoverished Niger Delta, home to Africa’s biggest oil and gas industry.

Although most of its activities have been focussed on the creeks and swamps of the delta, MEND has struck further afield, including at off-shore oil installations and in the heart of Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.

ABUJA (Reuters) – Two explosions were heard in Nigeria’s capital on Friday near a parade of top government and foreign officials marking the 50th anniversary of independence, a Reuters Television witness said.

The blasts came about an hour after Nigeria’s MEND rebel guerrilla group issued an email bomb warning, saying it had planted several devices at the parade and telling people to evacuate.

The Reuters cameraman said security forces and firemen had been trying to douse a fire in a vehicle after the first explosion when a second blast hit. People scattered and a young boy was seen being carried away to a nearby vehicle.

In an email warning received by Reuters an hour before the blasts, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, the biggest rebel militia in Africa’s most populous nation, said it had planted bombs at the parade ground.

“Several explosive devices have been successfully planted in and around the venue by our operatives working inside the government security services,” the email, signed by MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo, said.

“In evacuating the area, keep a safe distance from vehicles and trash bins.”

Broadcast television footage showed no interruptions to the lavish parade of thousands of soldiers and the great and the good of the continent’s biggest oil producer.

JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) – Nigeria’s Vice President on Thursday ordered the army to take over security in the central city of Jos and pledged the government would prevent further clashes after days of violence which has killed hundreds.

Goodluck Jonathan, who has been empowered by a federal court to perform executive duties in the absence of President Umaru Yar’Adua, ordered the army to take over security in and around Jos after days of clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs.

“I have today ordered the army to lead the security forces to take over the entire security of the affected areas, including those areas that are considered prone to risk,” he said in a speech broadcast on state television.

It was Jonathan’s first national address since a court ruled last week he could perform all executive duties in the absence of Yar’Adua, who has been in hospital in Saudi Arabia for the past two months but who has not formally transferred powers.

But the court said Jonathan could not be “acting president” and the opposition has questioned whether he is legally able to deploy troops, saying the constitution gives only the president that authority as commander-in-chief.

The vice president used executive powers for the first time earlier this week when he ordered troops into Jos to help police restore order.

“Let me assure all that the federal government is on top of the situation and that the crisis is being brought under control,” Jonathan said.

JOS, Nigeria, Jan 21 (Reuters) – Nigerian authorities relaxed a 24-hour curfew in the central city of Jos on Thursday to allow thousands of residents to return to their homes following religious clashes that killed hundreds. The strong presence of troops and police has helped restore calm in the capital of Plateau state with no reports of major violence for nearly a day. Four days of clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs this week killed more than 460, wounded nearly 1,000, and forced thousands to flee their homes. Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang relaxed a 24-hour curfew in Jos to operate between 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) and 10 a.m. to allow Nigerians to return to their homes. "It has been relaxed because there is some difficulty with displaced people wanting to go back to their homes and access basic needs of life," said state government spokesman Gregory Yenlong. The Red Cross estimated about 17,000 people have been displaced and taking shelter in colleges, hospitals and schools since clashes began on Sunday. "There are so many people that need clothing, food and water. The Red Cross is focusing on those injured and referring some to hospital," an agency spokesman said, adding that about 990 have been hospitalised. Any fighting is unlikely to have a big impact on sub-Saharan Africa’s second biggest economy. Its oil industry is in the south and its banking sector mainly in the commercial capital Lagos. The relative calm will also allow mosque officials to travel to nearby communities and bury the dead. Mosque officials have estimated the number of dead Muslims since Sunday at about 400. U.S.-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday said at least 65 Christians had died. Official government figures were significantly lower at 75 dead, more than 200 injured and 200 arrested. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, in his first use of executive power, ordered troops to Jos on Tuesday to restore calm and prevent a repetition of clashes in November 2008, when hundreds of residents were killed in the country’s worst sectarian fighting in years. This week’s violence erupted after an argument between Muslim and Christian neighbours over the rebuilding of homes destroyed in the 2008 clashes, residents said. Nigeria has roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims, although traditional animist beliefs underpin many people’s faiths. More than 200 ethnic groups generally live peacefully side-by-side in the West African country, although 1 million people were killed in a civil war between 1967 and 1970 and there have been outbreaks of religious unrest since then. Jos has been the centre of several major religious clashes in Africa’s most populous nation. The November 2008 clashes killed about 700 people, according to U.S.-based Human Rights Watch, while more than 1,000 Jos residents died in similar fighting in September 2001. (Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Matthew Jones) (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/ ) (For Interactive factbox on Nigeria please click here)

JOS, Nigeria (Reuters) – Clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs subsided on Wednesday in the Nigerian city of Jos, where rights activists said the death toll has topped 200, but sporadic gunfire could be heard in neighboring communities.

Hundreds of soldiers and police were stationed throughout Plateau state’s capital city in central Nigeria to enforce a 24-hour curfew, which has left many streets deserted and businesses closed.

U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said 151 bodies had been taken to the city’s mosque for burial since the violence started on Sunday, while the number of Christian dead was put at 65.

“The fighting has stopped in Jos, but we can hear gunshots in other communities in the outskirts of the city. We are expecting more corpses to be brought in from surrounding communities later today,” said Muhammad Tanko Shittu, a senior mosque official organizing mass burials, who estimated the death toll among Muslims at 155.

The official police figures were significantly lower with 20 people dead, 40 injured and 168 arrested since Sunday.

Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, in his first use of executive power, ordered troops to Jos on Tuesday to restore calm and prevent a repetition of clashes in November 2008, when hundreds of residents were killed in the country’s worst sectarian fighting in years.

It was not clear whether President Umaru Yar’Adua, who has been in hospital in Saudi Arabia for nearly two months, had been briefed on the situation.