JOS CRISIS 2010; HOW IT BEGAN

Stefanos Foundation, in an effort to ascertain the cause(s) of the crisis, led a combined team of security and media men to Jos Jarawa, where the crisis purportedly started. The intension was to come up with an unbiased “on the sport” assessment of the situation that will help bring a clearer understanding for better judgment. The team met with eye witnesses and victims who recounted their ordeals.

Various accounts reveal that one Kabiru NEPA (as he is called in the area) a staff of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), brought in some over 200 Muslim men to rebuild his house on Sunday, 17th January, 2010. Kabiru’s house is one of those burnt during the 28th November 2008 crisis; it is situated on one of the streets at Gindin - Atili, behind Great Commission Movement Ministry compound in Jos Jarawa area. This was the street that was mostly affected during the November, 2008 crisis which left no building standing in the area, both of Non-Muslims and Muslims alike.

Kabiru’s house is next to the one burnt down with people who came from Lagos to attend a wedding on 29th November 2008. It has been over a year that these building have remained in ruins. Kabiru is the first to attempt rebuilding in this area and his would have been the only house rebuilt when many belonging to non - Muslims still remain in ruins.


This investigation later discovered that Mallam Kabiru did not bring this project to the notice of the village head. According to the village head, if he was informed, he could have made it known to all that Muslim men would be working in the area.

200 muslim men on Sunday morning is not a common sight in this area since the last crisis, this certainly raised the tension in the area, he said.

The builders working at the site did not help matters; report has it that they kept chanting intimidating noise, referring to Non-Muslims as “Arna” (meaning infidels)” knowing they may likely not support the reconstruction. The Non-Muslims in the area suffered so many losses in the last crisis and have not been able to rebuild their ruins. Tension mounted in the area and got out of control when the driver of the lorry hauling sand to the site got into a quarrel with one of the non – Muslims in the area. This attracted the Muslim workers and later resulted into attack on any non-Muslim sighted around and a woman, Anna Ayuba got badly injured.


Unknown to all, the laud chants of “Allah a’khabar” had attracted other Muslims to the area and worshippers in ECWA Church; about 500m away were attacked. The violence escalated in Yan-shanu and Congo Russia and got out of control with reports of fake soldiers appearing in these areas. This resulted into the blood shed experienced in Jos and later, its environs.


Stefanos Foundation gathered that when Law Enforcement arrived on the spot earlier at the heat of the incident, they could not do much to forestall the violence. An eye witness reported that when the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3rd Armored Division of the Nigerian Army, Jos, came to investigate the matter while inspecting the burnt down church, gun shots came from the near by Muslim settlement, bringing down three Christian youths. The gunman was apprehended and handed over to the GOC but in the presence of the villagers, the man was set free. This made the villagers loose faith in the security operatives.

Rev. Samuel Daji Riga of ECWA church Jos Jarawa, whose members were attacked in church and the church building completely burnt and partly demolished; reliably informed Stefanos that………

‘I was still preaching in church that Sunday morning when one of the members of the church Boys Brigade rushed in to draw the attention of one of my elders outside, the elder quickly ran back to inform me of an impending attack by the Muslims. I immediately cut off my sermon and closed the service to enable our members return to their homes or any safe place. Unfortunately for us, before we could vacate the church premises, the attackers had arrived with their weapons. In a bid to escape, some of our members were injured by gun shots from the assailants. They later set the church ablaze and utterly destroyed everything in the church including the motor-bike of a member’……,  At the time of this report, we found an inscription boldly written on the wall of the church building - ‘Islam is 4 peace and Islam is the best’.

With the influx of Muslims from the Northern states coming into Jos with supremacist ideologies looking down on non-Muslims as infidels, no wonder such things keep happening. This was revealed by the interview conducted by Stefanos foundation on one of the Muslim victims receiving treatment in one of the hospitals. The victim said he and twenty five others from Jigawa state were brought in and lodged in a house in Angwan Rogo and given motorcycles to operate around in Jos.

Mrs. Anna Yakubu, a victim of the unfortunate incident, told Stefanos that her son returned home after church service through the said construction site and reported that the workers at the site were busy chanting Allah Akbar and from their behavior, he suspects something may go wrong.

It was not so long then they heard the voice of the man who barely left their home calling on them to run. While attempting to do so, she was attacked with a stone at her forehead; she fell to the ground with blood all over her face. And her son, Ajik, could not escape the bullets of the assailants on his face. They are both receiving medical attention at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH).

Stefanos also interviewed Danjuma Mohammed, a Muslim, who was among those who were working on the construction site that day.

He said ……. a tipper truck brought in sand to the site but in an attempt to go for more sand, the driver got into problems with Non-Muslims in the area. The issue was resolved. But another group playing football about 500 meters from the site on hearing the ‘Allah Akbar’ of the builders saw it as a call for war and attacked the church nearby, which is the ECWA Church.
The situation that happened in Jos Jarawa on Sunday was quelled down on Monday, 18th January, 2010 and it looked like that was the end of it.
But the news that spread, sparked up similar reactions at Bukuru where Muslims set ablaze Assemblies of God church and ECWA church around Gularandong and looted shops belonging to Christians. Non-Muslims also reported Muslims burning their houses at Bisichi and Fan in Barkin Ladi LGA. The conflict which has always been tolerated on religious grounds, soon turned chaotic, leaving the locals struggling to defend and protect their settlements. Similar attacks were later reported at Gyero Village, Kuru village near Hipang and Rahol-Kana (Ungwar Doki) near TCNN. Also reported were those of Pankshin and Mangu on Wednesday, 20th Jan. 2010 and Thursday, 21st Jan. 2010 respectively.

At the time of this report, mass burials had been carried out by government on Wednesday and Thursday, and as such, it is difficult to ascertain the number of casualties or deaths. However, many were seen receiving treatment at JUTH, Plateau Hospital and ECWA Evangel Hospital among others.

Stefanos Foundation Response Team.



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i hope this info clears the air on who really started the crisis.










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okay,how do i know it is not another bias gist.the district head need not be informed someone that had his property burnt will choose to re-build or sell it .As the district head should be ashamed of himself allowing it happen before and happen again in his domain .Also since it is not under any court injunction or law forbiding the development of his property ,he had a right to work on his property .Also where is JMDB.only of cause if the district head needed to encourage disharmony amongst people.this district heads know alot and also pretend alot.if someone was on his plot i believe it will only take 30mins for him to know and show up .

STEFANOS,

pls supply details ,

R u selling Hamburgers , cigarillo's or energy drinks?

DEAR GOWON,
No man lays hand on the children of Israel and does not wallow in agony years after. With your hands you killed the Igbos while supporting the Hausas sheepishly. Today, the same men you fought for are killing you and your children in your own home town - jos.
You are reaping the fruit of your wickedness.
Good Morning.

We all know allahu akbar is synonymous with death. The cheek of it- burning a church and inscribing islam is for peace. Illiteracy is a curse and ignorance a disease. All reports are pointing fingers at muslims as being the genesis of this and past crises ,and we still dull ourselves that they're being marginalized. Look how they sacked the city,do people who lay claim to a land destroy and impoverish the land? Gutless murderers.

As usual the story will continue to change ,.i know for sure you are also here with your version of the tale to gain supports,just like the others before you and after you .Please you guys should spare us the stories.it has pasted as usual with a possible twisted tale and finding.Maybe you should focus on making lasting peace.not the type you pretend to hold and then secret continue to instigate, target,propagate hate and then arm yourself for a would be genocide when available .grow up guys.make real peace.forget the stories, the lies, the government,the killing,the destruction and look for away to promote harmony .You both hate each other.what you don't know is that it is a war that will never reach it's objective.you can't kill them all.they will still remain on your lands.it hurts but you can't help it.look for a peaceful way of integrating each other and find a way to teach one another about how to live togther.FORGET the VIOLENCE!! it is not an answer.