ABUJA – Nigeria has recalled its ambassador to Libya and questioned whether the north African country is sponsoring violence after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said Nigeria should split along religious lines. The Nigerian Foreign Ministry said it had recalled Ambassador Isah Mohammed for urgent consultations after Gaddafi's comments, which come as Nigeria tries to contain violent clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs which have killed hundreds of people around the central city of Jos. The Nigerian parliament meanwhile passed a motion late on Thursday urging the government to order an investigation by the African Union into whether Libya was supplying "infiltrators" to destabilize the country. "The insensitive and oftentimes irresponsible utterances of Colonel Gaddafi, his theatrics and grandstanding at every auspicious occasion have become too numerous to recount. These have diminished his status and credibility as a leader to be taken seriously," the Nigerian Foreign Ministry said. "His comments on the crisis in Jos, Plateau state, are most unacceptable and unbecoming of any leader who claims to advocate and champion the cause of African integration and unity." Gaddafi said in a speech to students this week that the Jos crisis was a "deep conflict of religious nature" and suggested splitting Nigeria along religious lines "would stop bloodshed and burning of places of worship," according to the BBC. He praised the example of India and Pakistan, where he said partition had saved many lives.
