• 11^th century – Islam appears in Borno, later in Kano and Katsina.

• 19^th century – Sufi brotherhoods emerge. Qadiriyya becomes the identity of the Sokoto Caliphate.

• Early 20^th century – Nigeria witnesses democratic structures, parliamentarianism and multiple political parties.

• 1960 – Nigeria gains independence. Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa leads a coalition government.

• January 1966 - The first civilian and democratic government was overthrown in a bloody coup. Ahmadu Bello, the Muslim premier of the Northern Region, was assassinated by a Major General Johnson, a Christian Igbo.

• July 1966 – General Johnson was killed in another coup lead by Hausa officers. A new military government came into power. Religion enters the conflict arena.

• 1970s –Internal military struggles for power intensify religious antagonisms. Overthrow of General Yakubu Gowon, a Christian, by General Murtala Muhammad, a Hausa-Fulani Muslim from Kano.

• 1985-1993 – Highest frequency of religious conflict. Babangida plays Christians against Muslims. Muslims perceive his rule as an attempt to post Christian governors to predominantly Muslim states, reducing their share of governance. Dissident Islamist groups become a significant force in Nigerian politics. Muslim Brotherhood emerges.

• 1996 – Clashes between the Muslim Brothers and the authorities lead to the arresting of Ibrahim El-Zak Zaky, the leader of the group. Widespread protests follow, 40 members of the group were killed in clashes with local police.

• 1998 – Death of the Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha, Ibrahim El-Zak Zaky is released.

• January 2000 – Shari’a law is introduced in 12 major states.

• February 2000 – 2000 dead in Muslim-Christian violence in Kaduna state.

• February 2002 – Clashes between Hausas from Islamic north and Yorubas from the Christian southwest result in 100 dead. Lagos governor blames retired army officials, saying they were trying to regain military rule.

• March 2002 – An appeals court reverses death sentence to a woman found guilty of adultery. An Islamic court in the north had ordered that the woman be stoned, but the sentence provoked a strong international objection.

• November 2002 – Blasphemous statement by Nigerian journalist on the occasion of Nigeria’s hosting of the Miss World pageant elicits wide scale violence.

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