European journal of social sciences volume, number 3 2010 345 ethnoreligious conflicts in nigeria. Colonial masters play a vital role in the growth of ethno religious conflicts, these colonial masters brought the christianity with them and try to penetrate the western values in the system of nigeria. Nigeria has been deeply enmeshed and suffused in political and ethnoreligious conflicts characterized by genocidal attacks, bombing, maiming and killings of several persons, loss of business investments, and properties worth several billions of naira. Ethnoreligious conflict in jos, nigeria, intensely dissected the ethnoreligious crisis in jos and proffered workable solutions. Nigeria has played host to different types of conflict, especially since the beginning of the fourth republic. What are the interfaith efforts to ameliorate or mitigate ethnoreligious conflict. Bello 2 1department of political science, university of ilorin, ilorin, nigeria. The amalgamation was an act of colonial convenience. Ethnoreligious conflict in jos, nigeria 3 fighting back against other hausa settler incursions as well. The question is framed in the context of broader patterns of religious identity and conflict that have plagued nigeria s fourth republic. Nigeria, as a nation, is bound by various ethnicities or ethnic groups, thus higazi noted that, the dominant discourses in the conflict refer to political exclusion on the basis of ethnicity and religion 14.
Nigeria, as a nation, is bound by various ethnicities or ethnic groups, thus higazi noted that, the dominant discourses in the conflict refer to political exclusion on the basis of ethnicity. Background to the northern nigeria ethnoreligious conflict. Within the space of eleven years, several violent political ethnoreligious conflicts have. To preclude religious conflict in nigeria therefore, religious leaders and. Herderfarmer conflicts in nigeria have mainly involved disputes over land andor cattle between herders and farmers in the middle belt since the return of democracy in 1999. The paper centres on the middlebelt, one of nigerias six geopolitical regions where the incidences of intergroup conflicts relating to ethnoreligious identities. Department of political science, university of ibadan, nigeria.
Religious crisis in nigeria is prevalent, owing to a number of reasons. Conflict profile nigeria suffers a variety of complex political problems including inequality, corruption, oil disputes, national disunity, and the boko haram insurgency. Religion and conflict in nigeria united states institute of peace. This paper aims to highlight some of the ethnoreligious. The impact of ethnoreligious conflict on nigerian federalism. The study investigated the effects of ethnoreligious conflicts on economic development of nigeria. Originally published 8 nov 2011 origin view original.
Nigeria s longrunning indigenesettler conflict in and around jos, plateau state has escalated in recent years and may spread to other ethnically mixed regions of the country, heightening instability. Critical amongst these, is ethnoreligious conflict, whose centrifugal tendencies potent dangerous vortex for the corporate existence of the country. Download nigeria ethno religious and socio political violence and pacifism in northern nigeria or read online books in pdf, epub, tuebl, and mobi format. Ethnoreligious conflicts have continued to besiege nigeria for decades. Communal conflicts in nigeria can be divided into two broad categories. Religion and conflict in nigeria united states institute.
Religious and ethnic nationalism has led to conflicts about control of state. It occurred mainly because british colonizers desired a contiguous colonial territory stretching from the arid sahel to the atlantic coast, and because northern nigeria, one of the merging units, was not paying its way while southern nigeria. More so, more than 50 out of the above conflicts occurred in the northern states of kano, benue, katsina, borno, adamawa, plateau, nassarawa, kaduna, taraba and kogi states. The case of plateau state of nigeria abubakar sokoto mohammed 1. A critical look at nigerias indigenesettler and ethnoreligious conflicts reveals. Religious conflicts in nigeria world socialist web site. It seeks to follow the medicodiagnostic method of inquiry. When it comes to religious conflicts in nigeria, the main cause is the intolerance towards representatives of a different religion. Religious rituals provide for restoration, healing, reintegration, atonement and forgiveness after trauma.
Documents in econstor may be saved and copied for your personal and. Accepted 31 august, 2011 ethnoreligious crises are part of issues that are of grave concern in nigeria. Political and ethnoreligious conflagrations have severally drawn the country to the precipice of disaster. Ethnoreligious conflict at tusung village in barkin ladi lga, plateau state. Ethno identity the dynamics of sharia in and states. The roots of nigerias religious and ethnic conflict the. Ethnoreligious conflicts and democracy in nigeria dr. Analysis of the drivers, dynamics and sources of ethnoreligious conflict in nigeria. Ethnoreligious conflicts and a nation in crisis punch. To avoid one of the commonly committed fallacies of the century jumping to a conclusion or making a hasty decision, this paper adopts an analytical approach. Nigeria is one of the nations in the world whose political landscape has been inundated in spectrum of rearing complex conflicts ranging from resource, communal, to political and ethnoreligious conflicts. Trends and manifestations ethnoreligious conflicts have become a recurring decimal in nigeria s sociopolitical development. The paper concludes by suggesting how to curb ethnoreligious problems in nigeria in order to promote good governance.
In a nation bound with vast geographic and vast ethnic and religious differences, these religious differences aid conflict. Ethnoreligious conflict in jos, plateau state, nigeria. Good governance, conflicts, ethnoreligious identities, clashes of civilization and. More than,500 people have been killed in communal violence since nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999 hrw, 2010a. Do religious symbols exacerbate or mitigate conflict, especially during. Nigeria, published by the centre for law enforcement education and the world organisation against torture, 2002. By chris kwaja july 31, 2011 download this brief as a pdf. Pdf ethnoreligious conflicts have continued to besiege nigeria for decades. Click download or read online button to get nigeria ethno religious and socio political violence and pacifism in northern nigeria book now. The middle belt region, to which plateau state belongs, is one of the areas worst hit. As a result of the multiethnic nature of the country. Mobilised through ethnoreligious identity, the population may become a major actor in an economic or political problem, conscious of their role and abilities. This study examines the relationship between the sharia law, identity and conflict in nigeria.
Intolerance is the main cause of religious riots and conflicts not only in nigeria but around the world. Human rights watch, those terrible weeks in their camp, october 2014. Often misrepresented as ethnic andor religious conflicts, they are the result of economical, political and environmental tensions in the country. This militant groups left behind tribal ethnic and religious landmarks that are still threatening the national security of nigeria aliyu, 2004. Causal analysis and proposals for new management strategies. The conflict in jos, which has become interactable, is generally. A case study of langtang north lga of plateau state. Nigerias pernicious drivers of ethnoreligious conflict. This paper aims to highlight some of the ethnoreligious conflicts that have taken place in nigeria. Pdf indigenesettler and ethnoreligious conflicts in.
Of all these important institutions has actually increased ethnic and communal conflicts. Nigeria inherited a series of sociopolitical conflicts and economic downturn as a result of her colonial experience. This paper aims to highlight some of the ethnoreligious conflicts that have taken place in nigeria and its impact on women. The impact of ethnoreligious conflict on nigerian federalism o. The latency of episodic genocide by grace okoye a dissertation presented to the graduate school of humanities and social sciences of nova southeastern university.
Religious dogmatism, prejudice and conflict in nigeria. Ethnoreligious conflict and peace building in nigeria. This seven year conflict and humanitarian crisis in the north has. Nigeria s pernicious drivers of ethnoreligious conflict. Pdf the objective of this paper is to uncover the underlying factors that engendered ethnoreligious conflicts in nigeria over the years. Ethnic and religious crises in nigeria african journals online. Nigeria, if boko haram can accelerate nigeria s centrifugal forces ethnoreligious divides, power politics, and economic grievances sufficiently to cause the state to collapse from within. Challenges, solutions to ethno religious crises in. Understanding the dynamics of sharia in kaduna and kebbi states. By muhammad gambo isgogo hassan adamu makuku umar hamidu aliyu abstract introduction nigeria is no doubt a populous nation of over 88 million 1991 population census but as at now nigeria s population is estimated to be above 120 million people of diverse ethnic groups and many religions. This report raises a number of questions about the relationship of religious identity and internal conflict and the consequences of a polarized election. The causes of ethnoreligious conflicts in nigeria are embedded in the basic foundations of the nationstate.
The gruesome clashes among some of nigeria s disparate ethnoreligious groups have become a nightmare that haunts the country and constitute a threat to peaceful coexistence among nigerians. Modern nigeria emerged through the merging of two british colonial territories in 1914. Furthermore, no religious conflict in the nation is purely religious without ethnicity playing its way in it. Religious conflicts in nigeria by barry mason and chris talbot 28 february 2000 violent religious clashes broke out in the city of kaduna in northern nigeria on february 21 and have continued. Nigeria its vast population evenly split between muslim and christianis counting down to another presidential election, scheduled for february 2015. Given these findings, we conclude that a new, more comprehensive approach by the nigerian governmentone that seeks to address political, economic, and. While nigerian federalism has long attempted to find ways to appease ethnoreligious relations and unify the people of nigeria, many of the structures and institutions in the. The jos crisis, book haram terrorist attacks are examples of the various religious crises that have plagued the country in recent times. The 2001 jos riot claimed at least 1,000 lives hrw, 2001.
Org special report 359 bout how might recent patterns of extremist violencewith ethnoreligious implicationsaffect this election. So, impact of ethnoreligious crises on socio economic activities in wukari local government area will be xrayed with a view to proffering some recommendations to forestall future occurrence. The phenomenon of communal conflict has assumed the posture of. Ethnoreligious conflicts and the dilemma of democratic. These contradictions has proved incurable especially as efforts to obliterate them have always been truncated aggressively by the custodians of power. Causes of conflict in nigeria and ways of resolving them. Nigeria ethno religious and socio political violence and.