What would you say if I told you thatbetween last year and this year an estimated 11,000 people have been killed in Plateau State, mainly in Berom communities?

What if I told you that over 40 villages have been sacked and somewiped out completely in Berom communities alone?

If you were Nigerian you would try to correct meand say that I am probably talking about North East and not the North Central. You would be wrong.

What if I told you that 11,000 is a conservative number?

What if I asked you to station yourself at any mortuary and count the number of corpses that come in every single day from gun and machete injuries from the hands of armed Fulani men sometimes in cohorts with security agencies?

Even if you were able to count the victims, I would ask you of the ones that are missing. I would ask of the bodies thrown in the wells. I would ask of hastily prepared same day burials because it is easier to bury the people today than to keep them and add the corpses of the next day to them.You would then ask me why?

I would ask you what you have heard.You would tell me that you heard that the Berom people are cattle rustlers.

I would ask you how an 18 month old baby could rustle cattle.I would ask you how a 6 month old foetus even knew about cattle.

I would ask you how whole communities collide and steal cattle.I will ask you how many cows are worth 11,000 lives.

I would ask you how hundreds of thousands of people have had to flee their ancestral lands, farms and houses because they have been condemned to die for allegedly rustling cattle.

I would ask you whether the wages of cattle rustling is death.Then you would wonder with me why cows only get rustled in Plateau. When places like Bauchi and Southern Kaduna and even in some parts of Gana Wuri in Plateau have more cattle than Berom land but have not witnessed the pogrom on the scale that Beroms have witnessed.

Then you would be puzzled and ask me what was so special about the rustling in Berom land.

I would laugh and ask you to sit down.

I will tell you of land rich from the top to the bottom.

I will tell you of the unmined lands oftin rich Kuru.

I would tell you of the columbite in Bisichi.

I would tell you about Gasish, Rim, Foron, Vat and so many other mineral rich areas.

I would tell you about the Chinese with bags of money and determination to evade tax.

I will tell you about the Hausas that sell minerals to the Chinese men.

I will tell you about the Beroms that have been terrorized out of their land.

I will tell you of exaggerated tales of rustling.

I will tell you of isolated Berom youths in collision with Fulani youth.

I will tell you of Fulani who have discovered that mining makes fasterand easier money than herding.

I will tell you of Fulani women who no longer carry calabashes with Fura da nono on their heads.

I will tell of Fulani women that carry large pans filled with earth.

Berom earth that is full of Tin, Columbite, Tantalite, Wolframite.

You would need to sell hundreds of calabashes to buy a gun.

But a pan filled with earth, keeps the men armed.

I will tell you of a decline in cattle rearing that started since the 80s with education and when Fulanis started embracing dry season farming.

I will tell you of hectares and hectares of land lying fallow.

For their husband men are missing, fleeing, dying or dead.

I will tell you about empty huts and houses.

I will tell you about burnt settlements.

I will tell you about the new owners.

You would then ask me about government protection.

I will tell you of a politics that looks away from the plight of dying people.

I will tell you of compromised lawmakers, chiefs and kings.

I will tell you of the rich that have shut their ears because the harrowing cries of the raped interrupt them as they count their gold coins.

I will tell you about angry Berom youths who avenged senselessly the senseless deaths they have witnessed.

You could ask me why the media keeps quiet.

I would tell you the rat dances to the tune of the piper

You will see reason with me and then you will cry with me.

You will agree with me that it is not just a war.It is genocide.

And the spoils are beneath our feet

source http://www.sabinews.com/let-me-tell-you-why-blood-is-flowing-in-plateau-state-abiodun-kuforiji-nkwocha/

Hmmmm

Okoooh
Northerners are one

I Hate D Fulanis, I Hate Islam.

We know very little while we think we know all, but this is really a genocide. So this people with the big bags of money care less about killing thousands of people to increase the bags! Now the kingdom of God really suffereth violence.

i hear.

Fulanis and expansion tactics. They can as well attack and grab all areas dat supported and are still supporting one Nigeria.

And Buhari is fighting corruption

These are the ones that walked to Enugu to fight Biafra? Make I hear word abeg! As you lay your mat, so shall you lie

This is BLOODY KWARAPTION

We really need to start talking about this, and bring the attention of the media and those in power to these happenings. We can't afford another war on any scale, all lives matter.

PedroJP:
Fulanis and expansion tactics. They can as well attack and grab all areas dat supported and are still supporting one Nigeria.

So why this people don't want to fight back where is the yout of that community what are they doing.

You are all enjoying the benefit of one Nigeria.

I often wonder what would have happened to not just Berom people but all the Christians in northern Nigeria if biafra had succeeded.
These past forty years or thereabout have given northern Christians an opportunity to find their feet (often with a few massacres every now and then).
Imagine a northern Nigeria without the NYSC, no access to southern media, no help from the Catholic church and the big pentecostal churches, no intermarriages, no access to public schools with church owned educational institutions nonexistent, discrimination in employment opportunities, forced conversions, denial of access to farmlands and market stalls, I can go on and on the list is endless.
I say all these because I have seen it play out in several northern states.
Borno for instance; on Christmas days, not a mention is made on the state television that today is Christmas (total blackout). Islamic programmes rule the waves.
If you are an Igbo man, I plead that you empathize and know that your presence in Nigeria over the decades since the biafran war has helped in at least giving northern Christians not just a voice but also a foothold.
Their professionals are all over the world and I think the London protest is a good start to harnessing their capabilities.
The problem however is that the northern Christians are notoriously clannish and unable to face their common enemy.
The other tribes on the plateau see it as a berom problem; just give 20 years or less, they will all become sitting ducks. The Enemy will pick them one by one.
It may not be wrong to posit that Gowon also had this on mind as he executed the civil war even if you disapprove of his tactics.
If you talk to most northern Christians, you will realize they are really grateful for the protection offered by one Nigeria and especially the penetration of their communities by the igbos.
The challenge now is what will happen in the future because every Nigerian knows the country is not tenable.
Remember, it is the same problem in Takum, Ibbi and some villages all in Taraba. Same in Benue, Nasarawa and Kaduna.
Also remember there are sizable numbers of indigenous Christian across all the northern states of this country.
What is the way forward?

Igbos never tried to conquer people's land, only seeking alliance with ppl we once shared the old eastern region with b4 it was balkanized by the feudalist and their collaborators, but yorubas devote all energy pretending to be the saviour of the minorities in the old eastern region. But the Hausa/fulanis have subjugated nothern minorities, killing, maiming and annexing, using "North" as a homogenous entity to their political advantage and to d disadvantage of all southerners. I am yet to see yorubas talk critically about this situation. u can see the name of above, its mixed, i need the comments of real yorubas

Buhari scored 429,140 votes in plateau state while his opponent narrowly defeated him wt 549,615 votes,yet,this same Buhari is d life patron of the cattle breeders association wc has unleashed unbridled violence on plateau and other middle belters.
They shld enjoy d dividend of their investment and be sure d attacks are going to increase,what U sow is what U reap.
Benue is up next.

Get armed and kill them all
Or die trying

The people of Plateau as well as the entire middlebelt who are not of the muhamedian faith need to first understand what they are experiencing and what is also install for them to experience
It is one thing to be confused on what is right to do and end up doing what is wrong
It is another thing to know what is actually right but deliberately decide to do what is wrong, in this case the repacussions are very sivere
The people of the middlebelt region are mostly of the christain faith
As christains they understand that it's a punishable offence to kill an innocent person who has done nothing wrong against you
With such understanding they still allowed themselves to be coased into killing not 1, not 2, not even 100 or 100s, not 1000 or 1000s, but 10s of thousands of innocent men, women and children from the eastern extraction of their country who did nothing absolutely wrong against them
Killings and massacres where carried out in jos, makurdi as well as other cities and towns in the region against their fellow country men for no justifiable reason
Not a person or group of persons could protest against such evil act
Furthermore their son yakubu gowon who was in charge of the country did nothing to stop this wrong act but rather chose to wage an unjust war against this set of countrymen when they chose to take their destiny in their own hands in other to survive
In doing this he (gowon) as well as his collerborators from western and northern part of the decided with the consent of their foreign superiors to block and prevent aid and food from get to these people with the aim of starving as much people as possible
They as well as the rest of country watched as mostly women and children (emphasis on children) couldn't eat for days, weeks and months
They saw them as they kept shrinking and shrinking till they droped dead in the streets, by the roads, in their homes, in the hospitals and relieve centres, in the bushes as well as other places of human activity
About over 3 million of these people died mostly in this grussome process (starvation)
Over 3 million !!! (Count 1,2,..10,...100,...500, ..1000,....100,000, ....1,000,000,...3,000,000+) souls unjustly wasted
There was no geniue remorse, repentance or restitution done when the whole ordeal was over but rather properties belonging to these said people (the victims) where seized and confiscated
Every action has a reaction to it
The reaction could be atimes more in measure than the already initiated action
The damage has been done already
The people of the middlebelt can salvage what is left of the damaged situation by taking the path of reconsiliation
The path to reconsiliation starts with first knowing that you have done wrong and being geniuely remorseful about it
True repentance, restitution and seeking forgiveness from the people you have wronged will then pave the way for reconsiliation
The full measure of the repercussions for your wrong doing will come except this is done
Nature has its way of correcting such wrong situations
Today it could be herdmen, tommorrow it could be disease, the day after it could be some form of natural disaster
You either correct your wrong or nature will correct it for you
This applies to others also involved in the wrong situation that occured in 1966-1970

This is so heart rendering. What about your political leaders? Who elected them? In this day and age of social media and instant dissemination of information, news like this must not be buried. I hope PMB finds a lasting solution

Ndigbo let's face our challenges, we have a lot to talk about, let's face our issues let everybody face theirs.

Yoruba, after these people are done with Middle belt, they are coming for you.
Your own will be worse, it is written, for you all killed children of most high Chukwu Okike Abiama.

brothers sell/kill brothers for a piece of nickel rock - rick ross

Why is this post still lying idly here?
The post should be a follow up to this topic>>> https://www.nairaland.com/2579783/see-what-fulani-herds-men/3 posted yesterday. we need it on front page
cc. lalasticlala

Useless berom. Una never start to cry. Betrayal of Biafra while assisting Nigeria to Kill Biafrans during the civil war of 1967-1970 will continue to hunt you guys. It's just the beginning. Go and ask Yorrobers and Afonja when they invited the fulanis to help destroy and seized their Ilorin to this date. Gowon can not say anything against this killing of his people because of shame.

teekay12:
We really need to start talking about this, and bring the attention of the media and those in power to these happenings. We can't afford another war on any scale, all lives matter.

What is going on in Plateau state is pure Genocide.
I started a thread on this issue: www.nairaland.com/2379091/terrorism-secret-ongoing-battle-nigeria

THE PERSPECTIVES AND CAUSES OF CONFLICTS IN JOS


By

Pastor Joseph Maren Sampson

Director, Reconciliation Trainers Africa (RETA)

#41 Sarkin Warram Street Bukuru, Plateau Nigeria

Email: marensam@yahoo.co.uk

Mobile: +234 (0) 7039634892



Introduction

The constant conflict in Jos has become a subject of several editorials. Competing and conflicting interpretations of what make up Jos have contributed immensely to the prevalence of conflict being witnessed. The history of Jos before, during and after colonial rule and the underlying assumptions to its claims by various stake holders has not contributed to the peace that is desired in Jos Plateau. These claims and historical interpretations form the justification for the claims made by the primary parties to the conflict in both its traditional and modern form. The quest for prominence over each other has not also helped matters. Perceptions are believed to be a major source of conflict in any given situation. They shaped the nature of conflicts around.



This article examines what in my opinion I think are the burning issues that are the underlying tones for the re-occurrence of conflict in Jos as well as the causes and dynamics of it. Various perceptions of the primary parties to the conflict in Jos have been analyzed so as to give the reader in-depth knowledge to appreciate the reason for agitations from the parties. It then proffers strategies that can be adopted as a means of checking its re-occurrence so as to help build the Plateau of our dream where everyone is a key player in its socio-economic development.



Hausa/Fulani perspective of Jos

The Hausa narration and historical antecedents has it that they established Jos from nothing and nurtured it into what it is today without the help of the so called indigenous ethnic groups. Their argument is that Jos was established around the nineteenth century out of a virgin land with none of the indigenous groups near the vicinity. This is confirmed by the paramount Hausa/Fulani leader in Jos, the Turakin Jos, Alhaji Inuwa Ali in 2002 at a speech delivered by him at the Presidential Retreat on Peace and Conflict Resolution at National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru, Jos, 23-26 January when he states:



“Historically, Jos is a Hausa settlement and this had been confirmed by Mr. Ames, a colonial Administrator who gave the population of Jos town in 1950 as 10,207, out of which 10,000 people were of Hausa/Fulani origin. Before the arrival of the British, the present location of Jos was a virgin land and the situation as could be seen today shows no concentration of Beroms or any of the tribes in the neighborhood as being seen in the heartland of Jos town”.



This position has been strengthened by other Hausa/Fulani writers and publications thereby making the Hausa/Fulani agitate for their perceived identity. For instance, Col. D.A. Umar (Rtd.) has made a frantic attempt to explain the historical foundation of Jos by dismissing the claims of the Berom, Anaguta and Jarawa to the ownership of Jos. In his conclusion, Jos belongs to the Hausa/Fulani who in his perception are the real indigenes of Jos when he categorically states;

“Historically Jos belongs to the Hausa/Fulani and they are the real indigenes. What is happening today in terms of rejection is just distortion of history which will bring more difficulties and complex questions than solutions”.



The Berom perspective of Jos

The Berom wider community claims that they settled and secured Jos along with the Anaguta prior to the coming of the colonialists who came and made Jos the administrative center. In January 2010, in my curiosity to unearth the Berom perspective of Jos, I had an interview and consultation with Da Toma Davou Jang an elite and respected Berom elder from Du District of Jos South Local Government Area and he summarized the Berom perspective as follows:



“The Berom first settled in Jos and had a traditional name for it called Jot, meaning a water spring. The colonialists arrived and make Jot the administrative center and then brought in the Hausa to assist in the labor force of tin mining activities which was the main commercial activity then. The Hausa and the colonial administrators corrupted the name Jot to what is now known today as Jos. According to him, the water spring was located around the Gangare vicinity behind the burnt Jos Ultra Modern market. However, due to human development and activities, the spring has been destroyed. The Hausa immigrants and Fulani pastoralists came in from Borno, Katsina, Kano etc with other locals from around the State such as the Mupun, Ngas, Ron, etc in search of opportunities for economic survival making the city of Jos to expand to its present state.”



From this perspective, the Berom reiterate that Jos is indigenously inhabited by the Berom, Anaguta and Afizere. They opine that these groups share the ownership of Jos as indigenes and have co-existed peacefully with each other. They consider the Afizere and Anaguta as their fellow indigenes. They however admit that the Hausa/Fulani are citizens of Nigeria and have contributed to the economic wellbeing of Jos but that this cannot be said to give them an indigene status of Jos. They maintain that they are not indigenes of Jos. They are not convinced that because the Hausa’s have lived for so long in Jos they should be considered as indigenes. They argue that they are residents and have residency rights like any other Nigerian as enshrined in the constitution. This position is one that has been vehemently rejected by the Hausa community in Jos who believed that they are indigenes by virtue of their long stay in Jos.



The Afizere perspective of Jos

According to oral and historical Afizere narratives, they see the Hausa/Fulani as settlers and non-indigenes who do not appreciate and reciprocate the hospitality shown them by their hosts communities. They consider the Hausa/Fulani as a group of people that has no right to claim the traditional authority and land in Jos. The Afizere also disagree with the position of the Anaguta’s and Berom as to the ownership and claim of Jos. They posit that Jos belongs to the Afizere’s and there is ample evidence to show concerning this. They argue that the name of Jos comes from a corruption of “Gwash” in the Afizere language which the colonialists and other strangers misspelled as Jos.[1] They claim that the boundary between the Afizere and the Berom is located at the Bukuru Low Cost bridge and that the mistaken placement of the larger Afizere community under Bauchi province by the colonial administrators allow the Berom to infiltrate most parts of Jos. In an interview with Mr. Itse Dabo, a prominent Afizere citizen in Abuja, the Anaguta cannot claim ownership of Jos because they have often hide under Afizere protection during the pre-colonial period to save them from the plan by the Rukuba to exterminate them and thus would give the Anaguta the Afizere tribal mark as a security cover.



The Afizere argue that most part of the land in Jos was sold by them and compensations paid whose evidence and documentation they have to table any moment. Like the Anaguta, the Afizere contend that most part of the land claimed by the Berom was given to them freely without paying any form of compensation due to the peace co-existence that has existed between them.



The Anaguta perspective of Jos

The Anaguta perspective coincides with the Berom and Afizere perspectives which opine that the Hausa/Fulani have no portion to claim in Jos as regards ownership as they are settlers and Jos cannot be their heritage. They accept that the Hausa/Fulani have been instrumental to the development of Jos but this does not translate to a right of ownership of Jos.



In a wider sense, the Anaguta consider themselves as the true indigenes of Jos and none other. The Anaguta original name for Jos is Uzheashi, meaning a place where people gather with its location found from Kasuwan Nama to School lane in Jos town. They maintain that they were the first to arrive Jos. They dismiss the idea of Hausa chiefs as rulers and their claim to having ruled Jos as baseless since they did not conquer any area in Jos during the pre-colonial or after the colonial era. Just like the Afizere, the Anaguta add that they gave out most part of the land owned by the Berom free without any compensation. They agree with the Berom and Afizere on farmlands which they believe have identifiable boundaries but strongly reject the idea that they do not own Jos. Another major area of conflict between the Anaguta and the Berom, as well as the Afizere is the issue of the traditional rulership of Jos which they claim is one sided in favor of the Berom whereas they are rightful owners to it.



Religious and Political perspectives of the Jos Crisis

Christian leaders in Plateau State consider the Jos conflict as religiously motivated other than being political or tribal as some would like to color it. They see the conflict as an orchestrated jihad, which is a holy Islamic campaign employing violence to forcefully bring to the downfall of Christianity and impose Islam on the people of Plateau. Christian leaders have refused to accept that the crisis is political or tribal as Churches and Pastors have often been the target of destruction. They question that if the conflict is political, how comes no political party office has ever been attacked? For this reason, Christian leaders in the Plateau believe that the bottom line is to attempt to actualize the Usman Dan Fodio Jihad philosophy in the State which has failed during pre and colonial times.



Muslim leaders on their part consider the conflict as religious persecution meted against them and their faith. This position is strengthened by the fact that their Mosques have also being destroyed and damaged by Christians. They consider this as a subtle way to send them out of site thereby doing everything possible to resist this ploy. Politicians and Government agencies want to color the conflict as political which to me seems far from the truth bearing the fact that political structures have never come under attacked. Therefore, concluding that the conflict is political will be a suicidal attempt.



Preventive strategies

The conflict in Jos can be put to rest if all players are sincere and honest with each other. If all mediation efforts at bringing about peace are well articulated, sensitively pursued, and courageously approached, then I see peace returning to Jos.

Strategy 1. Overcoming peddled falsehood

Some common falsehood being spread around is that the Berom people are unaccommodating. This is a falsehood of the highest order bearing the fact that the Berom and other indigenous tribes have existed side by side with all other tribes that have been resident in Jos over time without any crisis. Plateau has been politically, socially, religiously and economically accommodating to all people. As a traveled person around this Country, I see Plateau as the most accommodating of other States we have.



In Plateau, people despite their tribal or religious affiliation can acquire land, build and live peacefully. In Kano, Katsina and other Hausa States Christians are not giving the opportunity to buy land and develop it even though they are Nigerians. Can any non Muslim in the Hausa States claim to aspire even as a Councilor of a Local Government? Not at all now but may be some generations to come. In Plateau State, the man from Katsina is elected to serve in the House of Representatives and a Muslim served as Chairman of Jos North. In Plateau State, the Muslims are elected into various political positions with equal treatment as the indigenes. In Plateau State people buy land, build their residential homes, set up lucrative businesses and worship the god of their choice without any hindrance. Muslims in Jos do block roads leading to their Mosques during Friday prayers without any hindrance. Can any Christian try to do the same in Northern Nigeria? Certainly No! What kind of accommodation is more than this? To restore peace to Jos, major players must stop this falsehood otherwise it only infuriates the situation rather than heal the wounds.



Strategy 2. Dealing with positions, interests, needs and fears of all parties to the conflict

In every conflict as is the case with the persistent Jos conflict, parties to it are likely to have positions, interests, needs and fears. Positions are normally irreconcilably different and often quickly mentioned by the parties to a conflict. Interests, needs and fears are often hidden and peace analysts need to probe and understand them. Identifying these peace values do assists interveners to arrive at meaningful ways to manage the conflict. In the Jos conflict, one can observe that the needs of the parties to the conflict do not appear to be in conflict with each other, but the positions they took conflict and compete. I suggest that all government machinery geared at managing the Jos conflict find a way of dealing with these values creatively, sensitively and honestly. Doing so will bring about lasting peace in Jos and environs and return the State to its glorious history of home of peace and tourism.



It is possible for the needs, fears and interests of both parties to be met without necessarily resorting to violence. Mutual respect and tolerance on the part of both parties should be encouraged. The need for access by the Hausa can be realized both in the traditional administration and the Jos North & South Local Government Area in a respectable and different approach than presented by them and as understood by the indigenes. However, both parties need to be facilitated towards building confidence and making them realize that their fears, positions, interests and needs can be achieved with patience, tolerance, hope and trust for one another.

Conclusion

I believe in the peaceful resolution of conflicts and differences through a non violent approach. I believe that no matter how poor or oppressed a society is, or how provocative and manipulative political or religious leaders may be, violence does not erupt suddenly. Inevitably, I believe that it is the manifestation of accumulated aggression and hostility that often sparks conflicts and crisis in Jos. In order to prevent violence, it is necessary then to address the hostile mistrust and belligerence before it reaches a point where each side believes that violence is their only recourse. We must develop preventive strategies that can bring about peace. The goal of prevention is to create a situation in which differences and conflicts can be addressed in a non-violent and constructive manner. I encourage round table discussions by stake holders in order to ensure we have a stable State.

...................................................................
I think this is a better researched situation of the root cause as it applies to views shared by various section of the community.That said it is bad that such things happen. Again the Fulani and Berom conflict is another new dimension. It is an off-shoot of the previous violence that preceded the current conflict.
@OP to suggest is about solid minerals shows that you hardly know the conflicts roots and the twist that are around.Please note that i am not in support of any form of violence and find any act of killing anybody regardless of ethnicity or religion terrible. Again i support everyone's right to live and let live.The conflict was allowed to grow for years and the animosity has grown beyond the normal dimension and would require a great deal of tolerance,forgiveness and understanding to over come.
Such persons as the OP are typical example of people who would prefer to create rumors and negative notion to spite the Waring factions against each other. Bringing in unsubstantiated claims of genocidal killings and a conspiracy theory of domination that is baseless. The violence is nothing more than the day to day skirmishes between the Beroms and Fulanis that has resulted from the lingering crisis lasting over 10 years now.It is a bitter relationship,one that has thrown out acts of tolerance and peaceful approach to minor disputes.As it is today,If you are to check STF incidence reporting you can find countless attacks from both sides.Dismissing the claim of genocide from a side alone.Setting the issues straight and the truth being told is important in addressing the matter.Bluring out the facts and trying to make one victim over the other is just not the right approach.
The so called Biafran advocates applauding because they lost the civil war are merely delusional.The conflict plateau face presently can happen to anyone in present time.It has nothing to do with the civil war(which the Biafrans lost under Gowon leadership).Your Igbo lot will not be in Jos benefiting from her hospitality and resources if Karma was all over her people and Land.
@OP you claim that the minerals are the target of the feud? yet you fail to sight the example of other areas within plateau ,that the Fulani reside yet no issues of expansionist plan to take minerals,is it that they lack minerals or what?
I maintain that the Fulanis and the Beroms can do more to bury the hatchet.They have lingering issues and they need to be resolved not people like the OP trying to add his rumor into it.It is important that the Security agents live up to the expectation of securing communities and ensure the parties do not resort to violence at every slight provocation as that could be a key start to normalcy.
God help us all. All the same if truly there is a spike in violence the FGN/state government needs to x-ray the killings and root cause further to dismiss the rumors typical of some jingos here

I would tell you that you have spoken well.
I would tell you that Nigeria is in trouble. Real trouble.