Government probes Nigerian communal violence

Lagos- Nigeria (PANA) -- Governor Rashidi Ladoja of Nigeria's south-west Oyo State has set up a panel to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the communal violence which erupted in the State at the weekend, leaving more than 25 dead and several buildings burnt, the local press reported.
   The governor announced the probe during a visit Wednesday to Irawo town, which has been wracked by days of fighting between two groups in the town.
   The probe panel is headed by a former State Judge, Nurudeen Adekola.
   Meanwhile, the State government has sent relief materials to displaced residents of the town, while more policemen have been deployed to help restore peace.
   Thousands have died in a series of religious and ethnic violence in Nigeria since 1999, when the country returned to democratic rule after years of military dictatorship.