Ethnic and Religious Conflicts in Kaduna and Plateau States: Implications for Development In
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ALONG JOHN YAHAYA PG/Ph D/08/48308 ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN KADUNA AND PLATEAU STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION & CULTURAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA RELIGION & CULTURAL STUDIES MAY, 2011 Digitally Signed by Webmaster’s Name DN : CN = Webmaster’s name O= University of Nigeria, Nsukka Webmaster OU = Innovation Centre i ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN KADUNA AND PLATEAU STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA BY ALONG JOHN YAHAYA PG/Ph D/08/48308 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION & CULTURAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA SUPERVISOR: REV. PROF. A. U. AGHA MAY, 2011 ii TITLE PAGE ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN KADUNA AND PLATEAU STATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA BY ALONG JOHN YAHAYA PG/Ph D/08/48308 A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGION & CULTURAL STUDIES, FACULTY OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA NSUKKA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN RELIGION AND SOCIETY MAY, 2011 i ii DECLARATION I, Yahaya A.J. a Postgraduate student of the Department of Religion, University of Nigeria, Nsukka with Reg. No: PG/Ph.D/08/48308 has satisfactorily completed all the requirements of the research works for the award of Ph.D. Degree in Religion and Society. The work embodied in this project to the best of my knowledge is original and has not been in any way submitted in part or full for any other Degree or Diploma of this University or any other University. iii DEDICATION This project is dedicated to my beloved wife Grace Yahaya, my daughters-Patience and Esther Yahaya and my late Parents (Mr/Mrs Lekwot A.T.s). iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Sincere thanks goes to my project supervisor Rev. Prof A.U. Agha for spending much of his time despite his tight schedules to ensure that this research work was successful. He is a father, friend and a brother whose inspiration and motivations can not be forgotten. May the Good Lord continue to grant him good health protection and success in all his endeavours. Thanks and appreciation to the entire academic and non teaching staff members of the Department of Religion & Cultural Studies most especially the present Head of the Department Rev. Fr. Dr H.C. Achunike, for their kindness and friendliness to me during the programme. May the good Lord also continue to shower his blessings and protection on them now and forever, Amen. Thanks also to my entire course mates for their moral support for this research work, and those who provided me with information and other materials during the interviews conducted for the purpose of this research work. In a very special way, special appreciation and gratitude to my wife Mrs. Grace Yahaya and my children – Patience and Esther Yahaya who were never tired of praying for my successful completion of this programme. Finally, and above all, thanks, glory and honour to God Almighty for his kindness upon me throughout the programme. May His Name be glorified forever, Amen. v ABSTRACT The research problem of this study is “Ethnic and religious conflicts in Kaduna and Plateau States and their Implications for the Socio- Economic and political development of Nigeria”. The incessant ethnic and religious conflicts have become a major problem confronting the two states and the nation at large . The conflicts have resulted to the death of many Nigerians and the loss of property worth billions of naira. This has led to the expression of disappointment by well meaning people within and outside Nigeria. The researcher therefore researched into the root and remote causes of these conflicts. That was done through the historical method. Data was obtained from primary sources through oral interviews as they relate to the research topic. Six randomly selected local governments in Kaduna State and six Local Government Areas in Plateau State were used for the study. Secondary sources like the Library and Archives were consulted for data. The Internet was equally a great source of information for the study. Findings reveal that the root and remote courses of the ethno-religious conflicts are tied to the Sharia law, intolerance, indigene/settler syndrome, unemployment, poverty, unguided utterances of Religious and Political Leaders, lack of proper education, and absence of good governance among others. The conflicts by implication have resulted in the irreparable loss of human and material resources that could have been useful for social and economic developmental purposes of the nation. The conflicts have also posed serious consequences on the nation’s political system as it affects democratic values and norms. The researcher by way of conclusion hoped that sincere governmental schemes and efforts be established to achieve social, economic and political distributive justice for all people in the country. With that the incessant conflicts shall be controlled. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page - - - - - - - - - - i Approval page - - - - - - - - - ii Declaration - - - - - - - - - - iii Dedication - - - - - - - - - - iv Acknowledgements - - - - - - - - v Abstract - - - - - - - - - - vi Table of Contents - - - - - - - - - vii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION - - - - - 1 1.1 Background of the study - - - - - - - 1 1.2 Statement of the problem - - - - - - 11 1.3 Research Methodology - - - - - - - 12 1.4 Purpose of the study - - - - - - - 13 1.5 Significance of the study - - - - - - 13 1.6 Scope/Limitation of the Study - - - - - - 15 1.7 Definition of Terms - - - - - - - 15 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE - 17 2.0 Brief Analysis of Religious Conflicts - - - - - 17 2.1 Religious conflicts in Kaduna State - - - - - 18 2.2 Ethnic conflicts in Kaduna State - - - - - - - 46 2.3 Political conflicts in Kaduna State - - - - - - 51 vii 2.4 Land Dispute conflicts in Kaduna State - - - - - 60 2.5 Religious Conflicts in Plateau State - - - - - 62 2.6 Ethnic Conflicts in Plateau State - - - - - - 69 2.7 Political Conflicts in Plateau State - - - - - 78 2.8 Land Dispute conflicts in Plateau State - - - - - 85 CHAPTER THREE: CAUSES OF ETHNO – RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN KADUNA AND PLATEAU STATES - - 89 3.1 Oral and Documentary Sources - - - - - - 89 3.2 Religious Causes - - - - - - - - 90 3.3 Poverty/Unemployment - - - - - - - 98 3.4 Poor Security Network - - - - - - - 102 3.5 Political Causes - - - - - - - - 103 3.6 Ethnic Migration/indigene-settler causes - - - - 119 3.7 Constitutional violation - - - - - - - 122 3.8 Electoral Malpractice and Political Intolerance - - - 123 3.9 Economic Causes - - - - - - - - 124 3.10 External Influence - - - - - - - - 126 3.11 Poor standard of education - - - - - - 126 3.12 Non implementation of Conflicts Reports by Government - 127 CHAPTER FOUR: THE EFFECTS OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS ON KADUNA AND PLATEAU STATES - - 133 4.1 Social Effect: According to Ibrahim (2002:9) - - - - 134 viii 4.2 Economic Effect - - - - - - - - 135 4.3 Political Effect - - - - - - - - - 136 CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION - - 139 5.1 Principal findings - - - - - - - - 139 5.2 Contribution to Knowledge - - - - - - - 140 5.3 Recommendations - - - - - - - - 140 5.4 Suggestion for Further Research - - - - - - 153 Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - 153 REFERENCES - - - - - - - - - 155 APPENDIX A - - - - - - - - - 165 ix CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the study Ethnic consciousness is the loyalty or attachment to an ethnic group either as a social, political and economic entity, or a cultural community. Whichever way we look at it, ethnic consciousness is based on the distinctiveness of one’s group as opposed to other groups. Ethnic consciousness is not detrimental to process of national integration in a nation state. In fact, it can be argued that every individual needs this form of consciousness for his or her own identity. The fact that one is Ibo, Yoruba, Kataf, Hausa, Idoma, Fulani, English, etc is a basic fact of identity. However, Ethnic consciousness can be easily exploited by competing elites or politicians for other purposes. That is why Elaigwu (2004:3) observed that: When highly educated Nigerians like Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was Nigeria’s first president, goes back to his village to take a traditional chieftaincy title, he is responding to decolonizing aspect of modernization as he seeks identification with his base of identity, Onitsha. The new awareness of his cultural obligations and rights among his own group is only a demonstration of ethnic consciousness. On the other hand, ethnic consciousness can be transformed into a weapon of offence or defense in a competitive process in relation to other groups over desired scarce resources. This could lead to the mobilization of ethnic bedfellows in order to maximize gains at the expense of the other competing group(s). Ethnicity could create problems of integration, especially in a 1 multinational state. Ethnicity, like religion, is an issue of primordial identity, and could easily be subjected to mobilization by actors for group cause. Religion on the other hand, is a very emotive issue. It is a matter of primordial identity and means different things to different people. In some societies, it has taken ideological coloration to the extent that it provides a guide for faith, action and evaluation in private and public life; in others, it guides only private life. Bunnet (2009:5), opine that: Religion for Nigerian people is a set of beliefs and practices based on faith, which are sacred and defy