After much violence, and over 500 dead, all the Moslem residents (over 20,000) of the northern town of Tafawa Balewa have fled, leaving only Christians. When Islamic Sharia law was introduced in the region, the Christian residents of Tafawa Balewa protested. This led to violence and the Christian minority gained the upper hand. The state government has tried to keep the last six weeks violence quiet, but eventually the news got out.