Ethno–Religious Violence in Zar Land in Bauchi State and Traditional Methods of Conflict Resolution
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ETHNO–RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE IN ZAR LAND IN BAUCHI STATE AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION ZAKKA SARA WADAM B.A., M.A. (JOS) UJ/2012/PGAR/0294 A thesis in the Department of RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY, Faculty of Arts, Submitted to the School of Postgraduate Studies, University of Jos, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION of the UNIVERSITY OF JOS JULY 2014 2 CERTIFICATION This is to certify that this research work for the thesis and the subsequent preparation of this thesis by ZAKKA SARA WADAM (UJ/2012/PGAR/0294) was carried out under my supervision. -------------------------------------- ----------------------- PROF. U.H.D. DANFULANI DATE SUPERVISOR ------------------------------------- ----------------------- PROF. (MRS) PAULINE LERE DATE HEAD OF DEPARTMENT ------------------------------------- ------------------------ PROF. U.H.D. DANFULANI DATE DEAN OF ARTS 3 DECLARATION I hereby declare that this work is the product of my own research efforts, undertaken under the supervision of Professor U.H.D. Danfulani, and has not been presented elsewhere for the award of a degree or certificate. All sources have been duly distinguished and appropriately acknowledged. _____________________________ ________________ ZAKKA SARA WADAM DATE UJ/2012/PGAR/0294 4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My profound gratitude goes to my supervisor and Dean of Faculty of Arts, Professor U.H.D Danfulani of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Jos, who has read this work diligently and is the one person I can always show a first draft to. Thanks are also due to Professor (Mrs) Pauline Lere, HOD, Department of Religion and Philosophy, University of Jos, Professor J.D. Gwamna, Professor A.B. Gaiya and Professor Cyril O. Imo for giving me the push I needed in the course of my research. Their criticisms have given this work its substance. I also want to thank Rev. Professor Danny McCain, Rev Professor Jotham M. Kangdim and Professor. Pic Onwochei for their numerous contributions towards the success of this work. Mention must also be made of Professor A.O. Omotosho, Rev. Dr. Ibrahim M. Ahmadu and Mr. Cosmos Wule of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Jos, for providing me with the necessary support which greatly enhanced my drive and enthusiasm. I want to thank Professor Suleiman E. Bogoro of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi for his numerous contributions towards the writing of this thesis. Furthermore, I want to thank all those whom I received materials from on Tafawa Balewa ethno-religious conflicts, which gave me the necessary support, courage and enablement to carry out this research work. I must also thank all those whom I interviewed for their patience and responses to my questions. I must mention friends and well wishers who have been praying for me to succeed in this academic endeavour. I wish to express my gratitude to Dr. Isyaku Mohammed, the Provost, College of Education Azare, Mal Gimba Babaji the Registrar, Mr. Z.G. Yelmis the Bursar, Mal Rabiu Abubakar, the Dean School of Arts and Social Sciences and Rev. Joel B. Madugu the Head of Department Christian Religious Studies for the assistance they rendered during this period of research. May God bless them all. Finally, I want to 5 thank all the lecturers and staff of the Department of Religious Studies, University of Jos, who have contributed in one way or the other towards the success of this work. To them I am very grateful and deeply indebted. I also thank God for providing me with good health and the funds to carry out this research. 6 DEDICATION This piece of work is dedicated to God Almighty, my wife Saratu and our six children, Dakuna, Timothy, Habila, Sunday, Victor and Gambo. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENT PAGE TITLE PAGE…………………………………………………………………. i CERTIFICATION ------------------------------------------------------------------- ii DECLARATION -------------------------------------------------------------------- iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -------------------------------------------------------- iv DEDICATION ----------------------------------------------------------------------- vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------------------------------------------------- vii LIST OF FIGURES------------------------------------------------------------------ xii ABSTRACT -------------------------------------------------------------------------- xiii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY-------------------------------------- 1 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM ------------------------------------------- 3 1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES -------------------------------------------------------- 5 1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY -------------------------------------- 6 1.5 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY ------------------------------------- 6 1.6 METHODOLOGY----------------------------------------------------------- 7 1.7 SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY------------------------- 9 1.8 RESEARCH OUTLINE --------------------------------------------------- 9 1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS ------------------------------------------------ 10 1.9.1 Ethnic ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.9.2 Ethnicity ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.9.3 Ethno-Religious ------------------------------------------------------------- 10 1.9.4 Violence ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 1.9.5 Conflict ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 8 1.9.6 Conflict Prevention --------------------------------------------------------- 12 1.9.7 Conflict Resolution --------------------------------------------------------- 12 1.10 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ---------------------------------------- 13 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 A BRIEF HISTORY OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICT AND VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 2.2 The Pre-Colonial Period----------------------------------------------------- 22 2.2.1 The Colonial Period---------------------------------------------------------- 26 2.2.2 The Post-Colonial Era------------------------------------------------------- 35 CHAPTER THREE THE ORIGIN OF THE ZAR PEOPLE 3.1 The Historical Background of the Zar---------------------------------------- 67 3.2 Geographical Location-------------------------------------------------------- 72 3.2.1 A brief history of zar tafawa-balewa from the earliest times ------------------------------------------------------------ 80 3.3 From the historic time to the jihad -------------------------------------- 82 3.3.1 From the Jihad to the Colonial Period ------------------------------------ 85 3.3.2 From the Colonial Period to 1960 ---------------------------------------- 87 3.4 THE EMIRATE SYSTEM AND CONFLICT ---------------- ---------- 91 3.4.1 The 1991 Conflict ---------------------------------------------------------- - 93 3.4.2 The Emergence of Zar Chiefdom Issues ------------------------------- - 100 3.4.3 The 1995 Conflict ------------------------------------------------------- - 126 9 3.4.4 The 2001 – 2002 Conflict ----------------------------------------------- - 132 3.4.5 The Situation from 2002 To-date ---------------------------------------- 135 3.5 ZAR WORLD VIEW----------------------------------------------------- 133 3.5.1 Zar Concept of God (Chong)---------------------------------------------- 134 3.5.2 Zar Concept of Deities----------------------------------------------------- 134 3.5.3 Zar Deity of Protection Wa‟ar-durr------------------------------------ 136 3.5.4 The Thanksgiving Deity Wa‟argista------------------------------------- 137 3.5.5 Zar Attributes of God or theophoric names----------------------------- 137 3.5.6 Spirit Being in Zar---------------------------------------------------------- 138 CHAPTER FOUR THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF VIOLENCE IN ZAR LAND 4.1 POLITICS AS A FACTOR IN THE CRISIS------------------------------- 140 4.2 Leadership Imposition-------------------------------------------------------- 143 4.2.1 Disrespect and Suspicion---------------------------------------------------- 144 4.3 POLITICAL CAUSES OF THE CONFLICTS------------------------- 144 4.3.1 Forms of Injustice Experienced---------------------------------------- 146 4.3.2 The Impact of the Political Factor-------------------------------------- 147 4.4 ECONOMIC FACTOR--------------------------------------------------- 148 4.4.1 Economic Causes of the Conflicts-------------------------------------- 150 4.4.2 The Impact of the Economic Factor----------------------------------- 152 4.5 ETHNICITY --------------------------------------------------------------- 154 4.5.1 The ethnic group of the Jarawa of Bununu----------------------------- - 155 4.5.2 Ethnic Causes of the Conflicts------------------------------------------ 156 4.6 SOCIAL FACTOR------------------------------------------------------- 159 10 4.6.1 Social Causes of the Conflicts--------------------------------------------- 161 4.6.2 Impact of the Social Causes ----------------------------------------------- 164 4.6.3 Crimes or Social Vices:----------------------------------------------------- 166 4.6.4 Suspicion and Mistrust------------------------------------------------------ 167 4.7 RELIGIOUS FACTOR----------------------------------------------------- 167 4.7.1 Religious Causes of the Conflict------------------------------------------- 167 4.7.2 The Impact of the Religious Factor----------------------------------------