Nigerian authorities relaxed a 24-hour curfew in the central city of Jos today 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 5pm and 10am 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 a state government spokesman.
The Red Cross estimated about 17,000 people have been displaced and taking shelter in colleges, hospitals and schools since clashes began on Sunday.
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.
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. US-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.
Nigeria has roughly equal numbers of Christians and Muslims, although traditional animist beliefs underpin many people's faiths.
Reuters