samcc30
Wat a jerk, never knew u were a coward, a week and senseless donkey u r afraid but u talk craps, I would have really thought u a lesson but u r still in my wanted list and to every rogue that supports u. U r the biggest fool, if u have supporters so Y'all r. I dont have time to keep on replying to a no good pig, its such a waste of time.

trenchcoat:

@Wily+Wily

That is wrongly quoted why do u like telling lies and causing confusion to others? The correct quote is; There is no god worthy of worship except ALLAH and Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the last Prophet of ALLAH.

@DatNiggaAk

Trenchcoat,
beware of Edoyad, the guy might have gay love for you.
i discovered in another thread that he is a supporter of gay rights if he isn't in fact a gay


No wonder he behave negatively.

No wonder he behaves negatively

Wily+Wily:

No one is Worthy to be Worship but Allah, i bear witness Mohammed is the only prophet .

@Wily+Wily

That is wrongly quoted why do u like telling lies and causing confusion to others? The correct quote is; There is no god worthy of worship except ALLAH and Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) is the last Prophet of ALLAH.

@DatNiggaAk

Trenchcoat,
beware of Edoyad, the guy might have gay love for you.
i discovered in another thread that he is a supporter of gay rights if he isn't in fact a gay


No wonder he behave negatively.

;d

samcc30

trenchcoat
u r nothing but a fool with your god that asked u to slaughter a fellow human being as u r like a goat, this is my email= lauralaura30@yahoo.com i also will like to meet face to face
but if I can see u physically I will kill u myself for insulting the Holy Prophet (S.A.W), theres no doubt about that.


hahahhaha giving me an email does not show how bold u claim to be give me ur full address and see wonders, my God never said we should kill, but I assure u, I personally will come over and[b] kill u, I repeat I will kill u[/b].


udennaa

send me ur address as well and see, idiots. arnan banza, kaffurai, yan iska masu kashi ba wankewa, matsiyata!

Me_Aboki:

@binatrix

As for your claim about Kano, I say you are a bloody liar because I know kano very well. Not only did I use to live there but still have families and relatives there.
Non idigenes and even non Nigerians  have been free and still are free to buy and build in Kano. Its simply a matter of money, if you have no body will stop you. Show me anybody who claims the contrary and I'll show you a liar.
In fact the people of Kano are so accommodating to the extent that they had elected two non indigenes as their Governors: Sabo Bakin zuwo, Nupe tribe and presently; Ibrahim Shekarau , Biu tribe (or something like that), who also has special advisors from most of the representative tribes in Kano; Ibo, Yoruba, Igala, ect.
Approval for new churches in areas like Badawa and Hausawa quarters are being granted by govt not to talk of renewal of existing ones in the old established Sabon Gari
If you've mentally limited yourself to not acquiring property in Kano, then thats your problem  but don't come to NL with a view  to mislead unsuspecting Nigerians so as to advance your negative agenda of disunity and separation along the lines of ethnicity (and religion).

Absolutely! This is well said I have a very good Christian friend next door to me here in Kano, I dont know why people like creating false information, what will they achieve by causing chaos?

DatNiggaAk
Wat is the essence of answering ur bemocking question? Its a total waste of time cos I know u will still not agree.


edoyad abi na doya b ur name @Trenchcoat, i swear  i love you that's why i criticize you;   love ke? hahahahaha wat a clown.

So trenchcoat you can  see that though i don't believe in the existence of a deity i do want a free and fair society and also tap from the good of everything

if I say u r insane u become perplexed, if u dont believe y do u have to qoute from the bible? @Trenchcoat, i swear  i love you that's why i criticize you; Hebrews: 12: 8:  u see ur lyf?

@ afemai

afemai:

killing of anyone whether muslim,christain,pagan,ibo,hausa ,fulani, yoruba etc is wrong!!!
am a christain and my bible do not preach killing a fellow man regardless of ethnicity or religion
I strongly feel what we need to do as Nigerians is to fight to amend our constitution to provide
for laws thats promotes good governance, development and unity.
Gob bless Nigeria, !

Yes even the Holy Qur'an does not preach killing a fellow being, I like the way u sound far better than some crooks that do not even believe there is God.

Wily+Wily, edoyad, DatNiggaAK and any1 supporting them.

Y'all bunch of haters, pathetic drunks, perverts , u keep instigating others and corrupting the minds of others, you argue on things you don't know mixed with blessings of envy. If you cannot debate whats the point arguing? Why do u have so much hate 4 Islam, Muslims, Hausa-Fulani, etc

U have shown every1 clearly that u hate us, but u cannot stop us, 100% Muslims till we die, call us with any name the good thing is u r not God.

darqly:

One poster above remarked that this is proof that northern muslims are not the instigators? Lol. Its just that the news agencies have stumbled upon this scoop and decided to make it their headlines. Tragedy started when a church was set ablaze with worshippers INSIDE last sunday and whodunnit? Muslim youths that were PROTESTING. This is the result of an ill-advised,evil and planned protest. How come no one mentions the poor souls hacked to death for going to morning mass? The day christians decide to wake up on a sunday and kebab muslims is the day pigs will fly- just won't happen. Cheap propaganda.

hmmm, arnen banza.

CHAPTER FIVE

TIN MINING AND THE GROWTH OF JOS

Tin mining is to Jos what Gold mining and its trade was to the ancient sundanese empire of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, many centuries ago. In the case of Jos, it is a well-known fact that Jos owes its existence to the discovery of tin and that it grew to cater for the interests of mining industry.

Tin mining like other well established industries such as the Sokoto leather-work or the Kano dyed-cloth industry, played an important part not only in the economy and the rise of Jos but also in the economy of the country as far back as the 16th century and perhaps much earlier.

Prior to the coming of the white men. Tin mining was practice only in the northern part of the Plateau around Bukuru, Ngell and Tilden-Fulain. The tin then mined from alluvial and code deposits and smelted by traditional method, had its ore brought by traders to Ririwen Kano and Ririwen Delma,30 which were important contents for smelting tin to straw Tin bars.

It is on record 31 that in the 120's Clapperton saw crude anti-money of tin, from the Plateau at the Kano market.

According to professor Sanya Onabamiro,32 towards the end of the last century, traders of the Royal Niger Company were puzzled by articles of barter (Straw tin) used by the people living in Plateau to obtain cloths and other trade materials from European merchants. The reason for their puzzle according to professor Onabamiro was because they had found that the metal was not important into the north from the Sahara as they formerly supposed. yet they could not obtain any information as to how the tin was smelted

By the 1830's attempts to find the actual source of tin started. But it was not until 1902 the first sample of tin ore sent to England by Sir Williams Wallace (then activity high commissioner) had been examined by the imperial institute;33 where over 80% of tin dioxide equal to about 64% of metallic tin, and Jos Plateau was proved to be its source.

After the pacification of the north and the proclamation of the Northern protectorate by the British Officers attached to the Royal Niger Company decided to make serious and practical attempts to solve the puzzle of the actual source of tin.

Reminiscent of the African Associations expeditions to solve the river Niger puzzle, the Royal Niger Company employed colonel Nicolaus to undertake and expedition to solve the problem.

It is worth of note that the importance of tin of the British at that point in time could not be over stated considering the industrial development in Britain, and the use to which Tin could be used in the British industrial economy. Tin is soft and is relay used on its own. Its chief use is in a no toxic coating in Tin Plate for cans. Its is also used in many alloys like solder for bronze and to produce tin chemicals. It can also be combined with many metals to improve their performance.

THE TIN EXPEDITIONS:

The first Tin expedition was that of Gorge Nocolaus in 1902. In this expedition, Nocolaus reached Badiko, near Bauchi, where casseterite or tin ore was sold. And it was from there, that Hausa traders took the tin ore to Ririwen Kano for smelting. From here, he learnt that tin was mined at Tilden-Fulani, in the part of the Plateau where no white had yet set his foot. The exploiter was able to journey as far as to the Naraguta hills where he saw that the Dilimi River was indeed rich in Tin ore- 'Kua'.

It is significant to note that this expedition had formed to be success, in that the source or at least the actual area where the Tin ore is mined had at least been unknown to them. This explains the seriousness and greater vigour with which subsequent expeditions were undertaken.

In spite of the stiff resistance to European penetration into the Plateau in the following year (1903) a month expedition was organised under colonel H.S laws.

In this expedition colonel laws, also a mining engineer, was accompanied by 600 carriers bringing mining and prospecting equipment, food supply and medical supply for one year34 and other mining equipments. The expedition was also accompanied by a detachment of twenty-five soldiers (Hausa and Yoruba) of the Royal Niger west African frontier force (W.A.F.F.)

Colonel laws approached the Plateau from the North and on arrival from Bauchi set up his main camp at place, which became the Naraguta mine now abandoned.

While he made Naraguta his permanent mining camp with two of his European assistant he reached Jagindi towards the end of October 1903. From there a tour was made to Tilden-Fulani, which became his prospecting base. One Christmas Eve 1903 he reached the neibourhood of Bukuru, where he spent that years Christmas. Within a few year he had established a prosperous operation, exploiting about 129 tons of castrate in 1907 and 25 tons of smelted Tin.

Earlier in 1094, he was joined by another white assistant R.A. Arch hold, with whom he was able to concentrate on his mining activities. They surveyed the course of Dilimi River from its source to Naraguta, plotted their mining lease and were soon extracting Tin and Smelting it using their own equipments. The first beacon to mark the area which was inscribed "HWLSWCRAA 1904" is now preserved as a national monument.35 The Hausa traders who came to take part on the mining expedition settled in what came to be known as Jos.

Despite the activity and success of colonel laws in subduing the local people with the West African frontier, development of Tin Mining by foreign interest grew slowly and until 1909 they were the only operating company.

At first due to lack of roads and other modern infra-structural facilities, after the Tin ore was ruined and smelted into straw tin, it was transported to Loko on the river Benue by head portage.

The journey began from a point36 outside the present Nigeria Airways office, from where a congregation of porters met before proceeding on foot and donkeys to Loko.

From Loko the tin was loaded into barges and taken to Facades for transhipment a total of thirty-five days, to coast. This tin was valued #29:10 per ton.

The porters on the other hand were paid a pence a day for the 200- mile journey.

Although the Niger Company was extracting Tin by 1904, the main expansion of activity did not occur until 1909-1913 when Jos Plateau resembled the mix can Gold rush. Mining leases were obtained during the boom period by 81 companies in 1911 and by 150 companies in 1913.

This has been attributed partly to the fall in investment in the Gold mines and the commitment by the government. to build a railway line linking the tin fields to the coast in order to facilitate its exploration by British.

However, at the beginning of world war 2 short recession and thousand of mines workers were laid off while others had their pay reduced from a pence to 6 pence a day. This was in spite of the need to sue Tin for military uses which trebbled the demand for Tin between 1914-1919 to an annual increase from 6,714 tons to 9966 tons.

Meanwhile, Jos grew rapidly to eater for the mining interest especially after the new railway connection were made. Even though mining was not done in the town itself there were mines at Gangare Jos, mined by the tin areas limited (it is now abandoned) and another one at a place called Barikin Naraguta37, (now behind the university of Jos vice-chancellors residence) It was originally the main camp of Niger company established by colonial and known as the Naraguta mine-now abandoned.

Since the beginning of the mining industry in the early part of the 20th century, it was only in 1960 that a modern smelting company was established in order to meet the wishes of the Nigeria government. Consequently Makeri smelting company was opened in 1962.38 It is one of the best in the work to day and is capable of producing refined tin metal of an exceeding high quality.

PROVISION OF INFAR STRUCRAL FACILITIES

Good commercial development started early in Jos because of the needs of the tin mining industry and the colonial administration. To this end, as the mining industry prepared so did the need for infra structural facilities for trans-communication arose, and more so with the increasing colonial grip of the area.

Before 1910, a telegraphy line with Bauchi was established and an office at Jos and when Jos was part of Bauchi province, a narrow gauge rail shuttle line was established in order to alleviate transport difficulties and to encourage further development of the tin industry.

The railway become known as the Bauchi light railway because of its 30" gauge and because the area, at that time, being part of Bauchi province had it Plateau referred to a the Bauchi Plateau, the rail was extended as far as Saminaka (Rahama) by March 1913; reached Jos itself July 1914 and By December that year reached Bukur. In tits first year alone about 6,174 tons of tin was carried. The rail line continued to prosper until Jos was linked to the Port Harcourt line in 1927. And when the line finally closed in 1957 of the tracks and line side apparatus and its three carriage were deviated to the Jos museum, to from the basis of a collection of facts connected with the development of Tin mining industry.

Road transport was also seriously undertaken in response to the needs of the mining industry. A road was built by 1910 connecting the Tin Fields with Zaria on the new rail line to Kano. By 1920 a local network of roads had been developed. The Niger company and the Jos tin areas limited made the road as far as to the present Dilimi bridge.

Therefore, within a generation Jos had turned into a major rail and roads junction. Roads branches north west to the Chad Basin, south to Enugu and North east to the Regional Capital Kaduna, and the export crop area around Zaria and Kano.

In 1920-21, when the divisional headquarters was transferred to Jos from Naraguta, a few more bungalows built by the colonial government.

At about 1925 a government school was founded in Jos provide for the children of resident clerks and other education alien African (Township school) for whom the school was staffed with southern Nigerians as teachers. In this school, English Language was the medium of communication, and was largely successful. This school was however not of use to the Jasawa whose children had to be education in Bauchi or elsewhere.

In 1939, the Jos Hausa native Town petitioned for and was granted a Muslim elementary school which later became the Native authority School. The medium of instruction in the school was Hausa. The area where the school was first sited is now called school lane.

The Jasawa leaders were so pleased with the success of the school that in 1940, they requested that English Language be taught in it.

In the area of trade, before 1910 traders used to come to Jos on Fridays from Naraguta to sell food items and other commodities under a tree near the then Bank for British west Africa. This market was flanked with people trading and buying from the Jos Hausa native town, including those from Tudun Wada and Gangaren Jos. In October 1910, the District Officer in charge of Naraguta division to which Jos then belonged appointed a market Headman and a Head Burcher to start a regular market near the Bank and the post office. The Jos Tin Area Limited assisted the scheme with a loan of #8:00 and it was understood that the colonial government were also contributors.

Thus by 1929 the building of the Jos main market was completed at the cost of #12,100: to cater for the growing economic prosperity that characterised the Tin city.

In the area of health services, hospitals were provided on racial basis. A European Hospital was established along side a Nursing Sisters’ quarters. The hospital which was maintained by the colonial government was equipped to accommodate 14 cases. One of the spectacular, but sad events recorded at this hospital during the colonial era was the death of the resident of Bauchi province Mr. A.C. Francis in May 1928. in the same year, a new European Hospital which brought it to its present site was opened.

There was also the African Hospital, which was the largest in the province and also maintained by the colonial government.

It is important to note that the African Hospital had its capacity always taxed to the utter most and there were usually well over 100 patients as well as a large number of out patients.

This trend necessitated the building of a new ward of 34 beds in 1927. in 1933 a total of 1169 new in-patients were treated with total of 511, 162 attendants, as well as 558 operations performed.39

Those Hospitals existed along side those provided by the missionaries. Both seemed as useful avenues for health-care delivery, for the people.

With trade industry and government, people gathered and Jos prospered, hence the establishment of banks.

There were formerly two banks- The bank for British West Africa opened in 1917 (though before that year Niger Company had acted as their agent in Jos) and Barclay Bank (Dominion Colonial Bank).

These banks were opened in Jos to serve not the African public but the mining companies and the European trading companies. However, many Hausa and Yoruba traders who trade on a large scale were said to remit fair amount of their money through the banks.

Other facilities included recreational allowances like the long established Plateau club which had and still has a golf course, squash court and some tennis course. Its facilities also included an indoor lounge, barm billiards room and table tennis. There was also an African amenities like swimming pool for its members. So also was the turf club which is probably the oldest in the north, founded in 1908 as a holiday resort for senior government officials almost all of whom were then Europeans; to recoup their strength, in healthy surroundings. The noted which stands on a steep granite ridge commands a wide view across the Dilimi River Valley. The good surroundings have continued to attract tourist to the hotel to the present day. On the left, after the Hill station Hotel, is probably the first European house in Jos.

Other facilities that were provided since the colonial era also included water and electricity supply. One other institution that requires mention is the Jos Museum, which is tied to the history of Tin Mining and the founding of Jos.

The museum which is the second oldest in Nigeria was opened in 1925 and for many years was the headquarters of the federal department of Antiquities. The result of the discovery found during the course of mining in 1928. The famous Nok Terra head Cotta was discovered there.

CONCLUSION

It might be argued after giving due consideration to the justifiable arguments on both sides that the scale seems much higher to the right, that is in the scale of Jos North Local Government, certainly belongs to the Hausa’s (Jasawa) who are the dominant people in the local government. It can be seen as reality.

It can also be gain saying from the analysis presented that the "reality" over shadow the "myth" in as much as " the dual role of Jos" enjoyed is relative to the name it bears.

THE DUAL ROLE OF JOS

When the Plateau province was created among the then 13 new provincial Administrative Units, which came into existence as one of the northern provinces in 1926, the geographical position of Jos at the northern edged of Plateau easily qualified it for the seat of the administrative headquarters of Jos Division. The province was created out Bauchi, Mubi and Nassarawa provinces.

Before that development not more than 5 years after the officials founding of Jos (1915), it was made headquarters of Naraguta Division then under Bauchi province when the Divisional headquarters was transfered from Naraguta to Jos.

During the same period, (1920-21) the Governor of the Northern province had declared Jos a second class township.

It is worthy of note that early development of Jos in terms of infra-structural facilities like roads, communications, health services, banks e.t.c. warranted the vesting on Jos, such headquarter capacity. The 1920-21 transfer from Naraguta to Jos instance was accentuated by the difficulties of the access to the new railway and the consequently growth spur in Jos after its establishment.

One other reason is the favourable climate of Jos which suited the Europeans. This led to the pre supposition that had the Plateau are of Jos been located with its good climate and potential it terms of mineral resources, natural scenery on the shores of Niger like Lagos, Calabar or Sapele, the area would have been completely annexed out of the country by Europeans. Consequently developing another " Namibia" in this country.

Jos remained the headquarters of both the Plateau province and Jos Division. Her role was less different when the state capital and headquarter of Jos local government area.

From the above, it is clear then that Jos plays a dual role; it is therefore bound to benefit immensely from its role in terms of development. To satisfy its role as a provincial/state local government headquarters, Jos developed very rapidly, modern buildings like secretariats, police barracks, educational institutions, housing estate like the G.R.A. as well as transport, communication, recreational and health facilities, the provision of some of these infra structural facilities already been discussed in chapter five.

Another consequences of the role of Jos as an administrative headquarter is the increase in population and its concentration of people from different parts of, not only the country alone but also broad.

There are amongst them workers of the government traders and other businessmen and women. This particular is responsible for development of Jos into a cosmopolitan township with a polyglot of population.

To satisfy the social needs of all these people, many departmental stores, such as kings way store, Canaries, U.T.C, John Holt e.t.c market and recreational facilities like cinema halls and a football stadium were provided.

This would in turn draw other organisations and religion institutions like the boys Scots, Girls Guide a Association, Red cross society, Nigerian Chamber of Mines Nigerian Railway corporation among others.

This in the final analysis has had serious effects on the culture and life of the people. For instance, socially, due to interaction, the people have become more sophisticated and are said to be urbanised; hence people from the rural areas in search of Jos, adventure or to enjoy the higher standard of living.

All this put together one sees why Jos is of great importance to Nigeria today.



GLOSSARY

1. Asibiti ………………………… Hospital

2. Alkali ………………………….Judge (of Islamic Shariah)

3. Anguwa………………………. Ward (of streets in a town)

4. Da Gowm …………………… Title for Birom Chief

5. Dankali ……………………… Potato

6. Duba Gari …………………… Sanitory Inspector

7. Dusa……………………… Husk from grains like maize.

8. Dutse…………………………, Rock

9. Diba…………………………… Taking or Selecting

10. Gbong Duk shot………Birom tribal council and court of Appeal

11. Gwamna………………………. Governor.

12. Gwosh…………………………, A virgin land

13. Inyamurai……………………….Igbo people

14. Jasawa………….From Jos, name evolved for the Hausa people in Jos Meaning ‘people of Jos

15. Jusu………………, A Hausa word derived from Arabic, meaning idol worshippers

16. Katako……………………………………Timber

17. Kuza…………………………………….Tin Ore

18. Liman……………………………………, Imam

19. Maianguwa………………………………Ward head

20. Markarantan Allo……………, School where Muslim children learn Qur’anic scriptures on slates-Allo

21. Magajin Gari………………………….Town Administrator

22. Makera………………………………, Smith or Smelters

23. Ma’aji…………………………………………, Treasurer

24. Masallaci………………………………………, Mosque

25. Sarki……………………………………………Chief or King

26. Waziri………………Next to the king/second in command

27. Tawada………….Local ink used for writing on slates by Muslims

28. Tsafi……………, A Hausa word for rites rituals connected to the African Religion "paganism by the whites.

29. Yarbawa………………………… Yoruba people

30. Turawa……………………………. White men.

Researched and written by

Ahmad Sani
No AH 15 Nassarawa Gwong,
Jos North,
Plateau state.
Email: fatisan2001@yahoo.com

The Foundation Of Jos

By Ahmad Sani
Jos

Email: fatisan2001@yahoo.com
March 07, 2007


THE FOUNDATION OF JOS

Introduction

The world over, it is never a friction for policies and principles to be dynamic. In fact dynamism has for many years been adopted as the philosophy of the various times. Needless to emphasise, therefore, that the various dynamic strides in Nigeria are nothing but the much desirable for.

However, for the purpose of this book, emphasis will be placed on the dynamism of the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria. The book intends to discuss in depth the historical evolution of Hausa/Fulani (Jasawa) in Jos, also the emergence of the Jos North local government area right from native authority to date. The period of 1909 to date and many others. But for the purpose of emphasis, it must be pointed out at the on set that the focus of the book will be searchlight on the Ownership of "Jos" by Hausa/Fulani (Jasawa). A Myth, or A reality? A question in deed. The ownership of Jos by Hausa’s matters of the above question. It can be seen from the point of view a reality owing to the fact that some forms of ownership actually exist.

However, despite the above, the fact still remains that the analysis must be a two-way approach and for proper analysis, the discussant must ascend up to the mountain in order to view the valley.

Original Inhabitants

The issue of the original dwellers in Jos as a matter of great controversy in its history. The controversy is better understood by taking a look at the evolution of this early 20th century city.

Mention must however be made of the seriousness with which any categorical statement on this issue would draw. First of all, if it could be proved who the indigenes of Jos are, the problem (which is the subject of conflict) of the chieftaincy institution would surely be solved.

Secondly, there is a ranging conflict about weather or not certain tribe is indigenous, in Jos. At this juncture, it is worthy to note that conferring the indignity of Jos on any of the tribes would mean ownership of Jos hence the right to the traditional stool of the tin city.

In discussing the indigenes of Jos it is first of all significant if not necessary to examine some important facts, because it is on their remises that any conclusion on this issue would be made.

According to C.G. Ames,1 the people of this Plateau:-

"are not aboriginal inhabitants of the province, though they

have all been living in their present lands for a very long time"

It is on record (Ames) that the history of the people of the Plateau began at several distinct sources all of which are outside the Plateau and many of which are very distant indeed.

Their history is characterized by what (Ames) farther describes at

"Lines of migration of people starting from different sources independently and finally arriving at those parts… in which the present decedents of these early immigrants are now living".

Given that the inhabitants of the Plateau as a whole are not aboriginal, but have migrated from distant places, it would not be wrong to say that the first people to settle in an area or who would be said to have founded a settlement would be the area’s indigenes.

It should be bone in mind that since the dawn of military era, and other forms of administration that predated-independent Nigeria. Several panels and commissions have been set up to find how best to settle the perpetual conflict of the indignity (Ownership of Jos) without prejudices in the conflict. These in the conflict are, Anaguta, Biroms, Hausas and Jarawa.

In discussing the indigenes of Jos, it is first of all significant if not necessary to examine some important factors because it is on their premises that any logical conclusion on this issue would be made.

It is on record that the history of the people of the Plateau began at several distinct sources all of which are outside the Plateau and many of which are very distant in need.

The history can be further describe as "lines of migration for people starting from different sources independently and finally arriving at these parts in which the present descendants for these early immigrants are now living"

Given that the inhabitants of the Plateau as a whole are not original, but have migrated from distant places, it would be the area indigenes. (The statement indeed).

These in the conflict are, Hausas, Anaguta, Jarawa and Biroms. It would be appropriate to look at the origin of the tribes struggling for the indignity of Jos vis-à-vis their connection with Jos.

BIROMS:

The claim for the total ownership (indigeneship) of Jos by Biroms is a child of recent birth. The claim began to surface (For what ever reason) often about 50 years of Hausa rulership of Jos.

Before taking a look at the origin of the Biroms it should be noted that prior to the (excising of Jos from Bauchi in 1926), no single settlement of Biroms could be traced within the vicinity of Jos Town.

As to their origin, Wukari is mentioned in the notes on the tribes of northern Nigeria3 as their place of origin. Reason for their exodus was probably due to the rise of the Jukun Empire or perhaps at a later date to free themselves from the Jukun Yoke. Their migration to Plateau landed them first at Ashono. From Ashono according to Biroms tradition, they moved to Riyom from where the expansion of the tribe took them to Machi, Afang, Assob, Rim, Jal Kuru, Ron Gyel, Zawan, Heipwang and Foron. Which made up the then southern part of Jos Division.

It is therefore, incomprehensible that from the foregoing, that the Biroms people should lay claim to the ownership of Jos. This book will not concern itself (at least for the moment) with the reasons for Biroms action.

ANAGUTA:

Even though, the Anagutas are in the northeast of Jos settled largely on the Naraguta hills where they joined others (Probably Jarawas) and became the Anagutas, an authority on Anaguta history states in his book titled CONTEMPORARY CHANGES IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES- THE ANAGUTA OF NIGERIA4 that, the ancestors of the Anagutas had always lived in Gwong (Present Nasarawa Gwom) and that their elders believed their fore fathers emerged from holes in the ground in the vicinity of their present settlement. The Anagutas have no definite tales of migration or any elaborate tales of origin.

Looking at these points, the issue of any people emerging from any holes is simply not tenable. Before analyzing the tradition, it is first of all important to note that the Anagutas rejected the Biroms affiliations to their origin on the ground that they did not recognize any genetic connection between them and the Birom people.

On the issue of emerging from a hole by the Anagutas was only an attempt by them to cling to their present lands in cases of contemporary changes. 5

What is significant about the Anagutas claim is that the boarders of the district of Gwong include a substantial portion of the city of Jos "even though" the Anagutas have no Administrative connection with the municipality.6

It is interesting to note the existence of the Jos along side Hausa native town as "Jos (Pagan) along side about three miles to the east"7 was Anagutas settlements that seem to give credence to the claim by the Anagutas.

Whenever the case, just as the town now grows to meet villages of Gwong district in Anabor or Jigwong, Zangan (or andoho), Rigiza and Andigwong will not make it mandatory for the Anagutas to claim ownership of Jos native town.

JARAWA:

As for them, their main part is in the Bauchi emirate, the Jos section coming originally Lamingo to avoid conquest by the Emirs of Bauchi. The Jarawa, to this day hold allegiance to the main body which was later excised from Bauchi State in 1979, and returned to Lamingo in Jos for circumcision and other "TSAFI" ritual ceremonies.

The Jarawa are found widespread in numerous settlement, probably due to their adventure and travelling. That is probably why they are found in places as widely separated as Kanan, Inshar, Foran, Char and Kwaki: those now in Plateau are found in Federe, Fabur, Fursun, Maigemu and Shere were brought from Bauchi as a result of the 1976 boundary adjustments of the Irikefe panel. Those nearest to Jos are the ones that immigrated into Gwong District, among the Anagutas to whom they are subordinate in the area to this day.

The claim, therefore, by the Jarawa seems to have no weight because even among the Anagutas in Gwong District they acknowledge the primacy of the Anagutas in Gwong and properly regard themselves as recent immigrants from Bauchi States.

HAUSA (JASAWA)

As for Hausas they are widely acclaimed as the founders of the city of its present location. They are whom that have been described by Ames as having: "been there since the beginning of the "century". In fact it has also been admitted by Ames that some of their fore fathers were here even before the beginning of the Colonial Administration.10

The fact that the Hausas, who later moved to Jos from their first settlement at Naraguta which is a "Typical Hausa Village" 11 and their influence on the tribes of the Plateau12(i.e. in Language and Culture) seems to point that the Hausa People have been living in the Plateau for a very long time, probably for centuries before the coming of the Europeans.

It should be noted that before the end of 1910, Jos was an unoccupied farm land and attributed the beginning of Jos to the conduction of a regular market in October, 1910 when the district officer in-charge of the then Naraguta Division appointed a Hausa Market Headman and a Head Butcher and arranged for even to start a regular market.

The fact that even as close as 1950, there were only 207 people of other tribes in Jos town as opposed 10,000 Hausa (Jasawa)seemed to vindicate their indignity to Jos.

It should also be noted that another area of interest is that the Jos native town is separated more by river Dilimi with the Anagutas of Gwom Districts than by administrative purposes of the colonist. The Hausas who are well known as Jasawa and who every authority recognize as founding the "Settlement of Jos" could not be considered as aliens to the Plateau just as the other "tribes". The Jasawa have no other homes but Jos as we wonder why they being scared as indigenes of Jos native town which they have founded and developed.

The conflicts that existed in Jos were those over its political control on the one hand between Hausa (Jasawa) who see themselves as the founding fathers of the settlement and hence its legitimates rulers, and Biroms on the other hand who deemed it appropriate to rule over Jos. Talking of the problem Plotmicor quotes the Jos Division Resident Officer in a letter to the District Officers as saying that "Had the British not arrived these people would have evolved some… administration for themselves… 13 This conflict over the political control of Jos was probably due to the heterogeneous nature of the settlement which according to the colonial Resident Officer "presented problems which needed thinking out" *(Plateau Provincial Annual Report 1921)14 .

The struggle by the Biroms continued with the sympathy of the colonial administration which considered the Hausa rule as a threat to their mining activities connived with missionaries and said Hausa’s had not any sort of authority over the pagans. Gradually, the status of the Hausa Sarkin Jos was reduced to Magajin Gari by 1948 and subsequently the area came to be known as Birom N.A. after repeated protest and resentment by the Hausa it was immediately changed to Jos N.A. in 1955.

The other area of conflict emanated from the efforts of the colonial administration to maintain as distinct, the separate ethnic identities of the communities which "extended to the law court".15 This was because of the fact that by 1920 or earlier there was an Alkali courts in the Jos Hausa Native Town and all subsequent native courts in Jos were Alkali courts based on Sharia.

The conflict arose when non-muslims who resented what they saw as preferential treatment given to the Hausa Moslems, by the colonial administration began to agitate seriously for mixed courts in the 1950s. A conflict that was, however, continued till today is that over the ownership of Jos and its traditional institutions. Principal actors in these conflicts have been mentioned in the early part of this chapter. The history of the Jos traditional Stool is also embroidered in controversy and conflict. It can be traced to two periods - period of Hausa rule, 1902 - 1948, and the era of Birom ascendancy 1948 to date. (16)

THE PERIOD OF HAUSA RULES

From available record kept by colonial administration and oral testimonies, it was certain that during the more than 50 years of Hausa rule, thirteen rulers features with the title of Sarkin Jos. Oral testimonies speak of BUNU and BARDE as the first and second among the Hausa rulers who were turbaned and sent to Naraguta by the emir of Bauchi before 1902. Others were:

1. Sarkin Jos Salihu - 1902 - 1904

2. Sarkin Jos Ahmadfu Dan’inna - 1904 - 1907

3. Sarkin Jos Hasimu - 1907 - 1909

4. Sarkin Jos Buraimah - 1909 - 1914

5. Sarkin Jos Audu Sarkin Ningi - 1914 - 1915

6. Sarkin Jos Garba Dantafida - 1915 - 1920

7. Sarkin Jos Usuman Kura - 1920 - 1922

8. Sarkin Jos Samnaja Dogo - 1922 - 1925

9. Sarkin Jos Garba Waziri - 1925 - 1927

10. Sarkin Jos Saidu - 1927 - 1935

11. Sarkin Jos Isiaku - 1935 - 1948

From the above, it is clear that any counter claims by Biroms may not be taken seriously. In this case, it is necessary to state in the strongest term that we are not in any way referring to the present chieftaincy institution of GBOWG GWOM Jos, but rather we see it as absolutely necessary and our right to have a traditional title of hakimi in Jos native town.

After the status of the Hausa Sarkin Jos was reduced to Magajin Gari which was the first style introduced by colonial administration to knock Hausa’s out of the of administrations, five successive people were appointed with such title as follows:

1. Magajin Gari Mammadi

2. Wakilin Gari Dan Karfalla

3. Wakilin Gari Usman Na Garba

4. Wakilin Gari Dankarfalla

5. Wakilin Gari Alhaji Ali Kazaure

NOTES:

Bunu, the tradition relates was appointed or delegated to Jos as chief from Bauchi; following a request by both the colonial administrators and mining companies to rule the people in Jos Native Town. This was said to have happened during the reign of then Emir of Bauchi, Mallam Yakubu Mai Gari.

Due to limitations of available research materials, no official record has been found about any such request to the Emir of Bauchi, the reason (and possibility too) of such request may not be far-fetched. Administration’s (as well as the miners) indirect rule policy in which the medium of exploiting the masses was usually through their own ruling institutions which advised and respected.

Moreover, the fact that Jos was before 1926 under Bauchi province and Bauchi Emirate provided a royal avenue for the venture which would be acceptable to the Jasawa, strongly substantiated such a request.

Sarki Bunu, who was said to be the younger brother of the Emir of Bauchi first settled at Naraguta. Bunu, according to oral testimonies was a powerful ruler who got the treatment and acted in much the same aristocratic manner as the Emir of Bauchi would himself done. Perhaps it was Bunu that E.D. Morel said in his book.18 "I observed … riding into Naraguta from a distant mining camp… a gorgeously attired Mohammed Dan Sarki in his many coloured robes on a richly prisoned horse". He maintained an elaborated palace, the ruins of which exist today at Naraguta.

Once tradition relates how Bunu intercepted and released the chief of mandara, who had been arrested by the colonial government and was being taken to kaduna enroute Naraguta. By this Bunu was acclaimed as having done what even the emir of Bauchi did not attempt with the colonial government. Bunu died in Kaduna due to illness. The tradition does not specify the time of his death but said that it was after his death that the settlement moved to Jos. However, since the divisional headquarters was transferred from Naraguta to Jos in 1920 - 21, it was certain that he died before 1920.

Sources came across during this research have shown that the Hausa rulers performed important functions. For instance, it is on record19 that in 1930 Sarkin Jos Saidu and the Wazirin Zaria were appointed to a Grade ‘A’ native court to inquire into an affray between the villages of miango of the then Jos Division and pitti in Zaria Emirate which resulted in 26 death. Their investigation was up-held as a credit by the colonial authorities.

Alhaji Ali Kazaure who was the last person to hold such post of Wakilin Gari was relieved off his post in 1970 without any reason given to Hausa’s and the stool remained vacant to date the restoration of which Hausa’s hope any moment from now "ALLAH", will give his immediate consideration.

From the above explanation and clarification, one can understand that, basically and fundamentally, really and realistically Jos North Local Government area belongs to Hausa /Fulani (JASAWA).

For clarity and better understanding let us look at the ERA of Birom ascendancy.

THE ERA OF BIROM ASCENDANCY:

Moves to terminate Hausa rulership of Jos began during the time of Sarkin Jos Isiaku. In 1947 a Birom named Mallam Rwang Pam, then a headmaster at Riyom was appointed Sarkin Birom (Chief of Birom) and not Sarkin Jos (certificate attached). This was apparent because among the then ten districts that were sharing the same native authority Treasury, Birom came next to Jasawa in term of population, and there was the need, therefore, for them to have a representative at the native treasury authority. This appointment made Mallam RwangPam a member of the Birom Tribal Council, which later served as his stepping stone and opened the way for him to become the Sarkin Jos.

As faith will have it, Sarkin Jos Isiaku died in 1948. His death marked the end of Hausa rulership of Jos. The circumstances that led to the shift of the chieftaincy from the Hausas (Jasawa) to the Birom who have no locus stand over it, were highly controversial and a matter conjecture.

It is important to note that a strong probability existed that the institution a Birom chief (instead of Hausa) who was hand picked rules away from Riyom to rule over Jos, was a ground design by the colonial administration in connivance with the Tin Mining Companies to enable them tap the mineral wealth of the area unchallenged.

Another reason which now have more substance than the former, blames revolution on a trinity of colonialists Tin miners and missionaries, which sought to unite all the minorities of the Savannah region under a Christian umbrella in order to curtail the influences of the Hausas as well as to provide a suitable European settlement due to the favourable climate of the area and pave way for easy evangelisation.

It should be noted that since the formation of the settlement, no steadfast system of appointment or succession to the thrown of Sarkin Jos was followed. Consequently, by 1957 Mallam Rwang Pam20 had already begun to answer Sarkin Jos instead of Sarkin Birom. This brought great resentment by the Hausa whose post was relegated to the subordinate post of Magajin Garin Jos. This development was and is still being presented not only by the fore-founders of Jos native town, but also by other tribe who are neighbours to Hausa’s because They both feel cheated.

Mallam Rwang Pam was appointed as Sarkin Birom by "Mr. Cecil Rex Niwen" in 1957 (Copy of certificate of appointment already attached). He died on 14th July, 1969 and he was succeeded by the present Chief of Jos Dr. Fombot on 19th August, 1969. The Chief makers were Chief of Pangana, Miango and Rukuba.

As near as 1925 Jos was part and parcel of the then Bauchi province which was exercised by the then authorities who have come to meet Hausa’s living here long before advent of our colonial masters. It is an irony of fate and history that other portion of the state that were exercised along with us, namely Wase and Kanem L.G.A.’s who are also of the same Hausa/Fulani descent as Hasa’s, are fully accepted as indigenes of the state; while Hausa’s are being doubted simply because of some propaganda that was based on advantage take over the educational background of Hausa’s ancestors. Other portions that were simultaneously exercised with Hausa’s from the then Benue province and who also received full indigenous recognition of the state were Lafia, keffi, Awe and Nasarawa who are also Kanuri/Hausa/Fulani descendants.

CHAPTER THREE

Historically Jos belong 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 Biroms claimed the ownership of Jos because Gbong Jos is a Birom, neglecting the history of how the stool turned to Gbong Gwong Jos from Bwong Gwong Birom. Also the Jarawas and Anagutas claim to Jos is because of the proximity of their villages. But their historical areas though in Jos geographical division, is not in Jos native town. They are only neighbours to Jos town where as Hausa/Fulani claim, the book entitled: "This is Jos" State:

"… the twon was by 1912 referred to as" Hausa settlement of Jos"(1)

Mr. Ames (a colonial administrator) noted that:

"… the Hausa/Fulani inhabited what is presently known as Jos before the coming of the colonialists and before the Hausas Jos was an unoccupied virgin land. The Hausas have been there since the beginning of the century. No Birom had a house in the heartland of Jos. ‘He continued: "… as close as 1950, there were only 10,207 people in Jos town of which 10,000 where Hausas" (2)



Also refer to the names of heads of prisons, police, administrators, judges etc of those days. You will realize that they are all Hausas. This is Jos stated:

"… The town continued to be treated like any Hausa… city where Muslims rules applied and was completed with an alkali court

Also from the names of the wards such as Abba Na Shehu, Garba Daho, Ibrahim, Tafawa Balewa, Sarkin Arab, Gangare, Ali Kazaure and also the names of street such as Dan Karfalla, Tsoho Salihu, Masallacin Jumma’a etc, One can conclude who owns the towns. This brief history is just a tip of the lceberg considering what is on record .

Jos was an integral part of Bauchi Emirate. To support this assertion the book entitled "This is Jos state:

"……in the turn of the century, Sir William Wallace commanded an armed force to subdue the Emir of Bauchi and a political officer of this expeditionary force named Sir Richard and Temple used this opportunity to tour and map the area. It was….in march 1902, G.R Nicholas a mining engineer, undertook a successful expedition to the Jos Plateau…, The following year he returned with Colonel H.W. Laws also a mining engineer escorted by a full company of the west African Frontiers force…(6)

Agreed historically, each of the tribes claiming ownership of Jos must have migrated from one place or the other. For example Jarawas, Mwaghavuls. Ngas and part of Anaguta migrated from Bornu to Bauchi and later migrated from Bauchi to present places in Jos division or Plateau. Historically, Gbong Gwom Jos, Dr. Fom Bot claimed that the Biroms migrated from the old Gobir Empire in the present Kebbi/Sokoto State (that is Madawa, a border between Niger Republic and Sokoto)(17) while other sources said the Biroms originated from Wukari, though culturally this is not tenable, because the Biroms share no cultural hegemony with the Jukuns unlike many other tribes who share hegemony with Kwararafa. Part of the Anagutas also are said to have came from Gobir of Kebbi State.

From this historical fact it could be seen that we the Hausa/Fulani are not the only tribe that have migrated to Plateau. Even at the time of migration the Biroms, Jarawa and Anaguta should not have arrived on the same day, but still each recognised their individual territory, then why are each of them denying Hausa’s territory as well as claiming it?

THE METAMORPHOSES OF HISTORICAL DISTORTION

According to a colonial officer Mr. Plotmicer in his book entitled: Strangers to the city: the urban man in Jos, he said:

"…This unholy marriage of convenience as the collaboration of the colonists and Biroms was motivated by the desire to control the mining filed in the area (i.e. divide and rule)…(9)

This was initiated by first creating the stool of non existing central Birom chiefdom (which we had no any reason to suspect or criticise) and we are not against it. In that regard the Gbong Gwong Birom was installed in the person of Mallam Rwang Pam in 1947, not to rule over Jos but his Birom kith and kin. As at the time he was to be promoted to second class chief from third class in his letter, the deputy lieutenant Governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir Cevil Rex Niven addressed Dogwom Rwamg Pam as "Sarkin Birom" not "Sarkin Jos".

The second insidious gimmick against our people was the creation of Jos division which covered about 1,431 sq miles then, the population of the division by the 1963 census was 457,759 people. The division was then divided into nineteen independent districts. The districts does not belong to Biroms and Anagutas alone as Mr Sen Luka Gwom stated on 1st November 1997 before this honourable committee at Plateau State House of Assembly. Other tribes that were in Jos division local administration, who were later skimmed out of Jos traditional council, include Jere, Rukuba, Irigwe, Jal or Ntem, Amo etc. The nineteen independent district heads as at 1969 include:

NO.

NAME

DISTRICTS

DATE OF INSTALLATION

1.

Mallam Chai Mang

District Head of Jal

1/11/1927

2.

Mallam Maigari Minjidu

District Head of Buji

4/2/1943

3.

Mallam Pam Tok

District Head of Heipang

12/9/1943

4.

Mallam Abul Doya

District Head of Amo

14/1/1953

5.

Mallam Pam Dalyop

District Head of Vwang

29/4/1954

6.

Mallam Dung Rwang

District Head of Kwon

14/10/1954

7.

Alhaji Ali Kazaure

Wakilin Garin Jos

1/4/1959

8.

Mallam Ashi Dodo

District Head of Kwon

10/10/1959

9.

Mallam Suleh Muh. Sarki

Sarkin Garin Buruku

1/12/1960

10.

Mallam Nga Dangyang

District Head of Gyel

1/12/1960

11.

Mallam Nyoro Gwok

District Head of Gashish

30/6/1961

12.

Mallam Dalyop Gwong

District Head of Bachit

1/4/1963

13.

Mallam Pwajok Dalyop

District Head of Kuru

13/4/1964

14.

Mallam Chuwang Dung

District Head of Forom

1/4/1967

15.

Mallam Sani Dankaka

District Head of Jere

10/4/1965

16.

Mallam Dodo Do

District Head of Riyom

17/5/1968

17.

Mallam Philibus Dashwei

Ag District Head of Fan

-

18.

Mallam Mashat Bot

Ag District Head of Ropp

-

19.

Mallam Nyam Sambo

Ag District Head of Gwong

-

Source 10

Before the establishment of the British System of administration each district was virtually independent of the rest except for family ties which in some cases ran across district boundaries (11). This shows that before 1902 Jos was also independently a Hausa enclave as we had Sarkin Garin Jos not Wakilin Garin Jos then. We must therefore differentiate between Jos Native Town and Jos Division consisting of other tribes.

The chairmanship of Jos division local administration council prior to 1947 was held in rotation by these district heads. e.g. in 1946. The district head of Amo (Mallam Sambo) was the chairman of the council. It was later that permanent chairmanship was proposed (by the colonists for their own interest) and Mallam Rwang Pam was chosen in 1947 as the first chief of Birom with a title Gbong Gwom at a status of a third class chief.

In 1955 the entire division was united under one local administration as a result the paramount chief of Birom at that time made the head of the administration and a second class chief with the new title of Chief of Jos in that same 1955 (this is Jos said "it was in 1954)…"(12) while narrating how the Hausa/Fulani were robbed of their stool. The book "This is Jos" stated:

"… it was not until 1951 after innumerable agitations (instigated and decided by the colonial masters) that the status of Chief of Jos was reduced to Magajin Garin Jos and the area (was manoeuvred to) become known as Birom N.A. and later changed to Jos N.A. in 1954 (because many districts out of Jos division were not Birom speaking areas). That was when Chief of Biroms became the Chief of Jos…"(13)

This is how the Hausa/Fulani were robbed of their stool with no reason was given for that and a new designation was given to it called Magalin Garin or Wakilin Gari. As the term connotes, even these can only be given to indigenes as such five Hausa successfully ruled in that capacity namely:

i. Magajin Gari Mammadi - 1948 - 1949

ii. Wakilin Gari Muhammad Dan Karfalla -1949 - 1951

iii. Wakilin Gari Usman Na Garba - 1951 - 1956

iv. Wakilin Gari Muhammad Dan Karfalla -1956 - 1959

v. Wakilin Gari Ali Kazaure -1st April 1959 - 1973

Another attempt to strip the Hausa of Jos traditional titles was made by removing Alhaji Ali Kazaure as the Wakilin Garin Jos in 1973 which is still unoccupied.

Despite all these Hausa/Fulani were considered as indigenes in all records. Hausa/Fulani were considered as indigenes of Plateau State in the Plateau State official diary of 1990 at the page two it states:

"…The multiplicity of ethnic groups in Jos… is made up of… Biroms, Jarawa (Afizere), Anagutas and Hausa as the dominant groups…"(14).

Mallam Rwang Pam died on the 14th Jult 1969 (after twenty two years of reign) and Dr. Fom Bot was enthroned Chief of Jos (not by Birom because the stool belong to Jos division) by the Chiefs of Pengana, Nyango, Irigwe and district head of Jos division on 19/8/1969 and by ceremony was done on 20/3/70 (15)

It was then held by every tribe that Hausa/Fulani were indigenes of Jos for one cannot be part of the king makers of any society if one is an indigene. Though, the stool was unjustifiably rubbed from Hausa/Fulani but in order to make peace our people take it in good faith, as such among the king makers that selected Dr. Fom Bot were Mallam Suleh Muhammad, Mallam Sani Dankaka and Alhaji Ali Kazaure. They were among the king makers of Jos. Ali Kazaure (Wakilin Garin Jos) also assisted His Excellency the Governor of Benue-Plateau State (Mr. J.D. Gomwalk) in the installation of Dr. Fom Bot as Chief of Jos (16). This is to show the position of the Hausa/Fulanis even among the king makers of Jos and it also portray us as peace loving citizen.

HOW THE LGA CAME TO BE:

The local government came to be in 1991 when additional LGA were created in that same year. Every peace loving citizen applauded that development including Anaguta Afizere (please refer to The Sunday Standard of 20/10/1991), except some tribes out of their selfish sentiments, who were the architects of 12th April, 1994 crises which resulted in the killing of many of our people as well as setting ablaze our places of business and places of worship. After the local government settled despite their previous threats to peace the same people are now benefiting from it and we that advocated for that were fought and rejected as non citizen.

The present Jos-North LGA represents the following wards:

i. Abba Na Shehu Ward

ii. Ali Kazaure ward

iii. Dalhatu Ward

iv. Garba Daho Ward

v. Ibrahim Katsina ward

vi. Sarkin Arab Ward

vii. Gangare Ward

viii. Naraguta "A" Ward

ix. Naraguta "B" Ward

x. Tudun Wada - Kabong Ward

xi. Jenta Adamu Ward

xii. Tafawa Balewa Ward

ECONOMIC SPREAD

The local government area with our contributions in the past and present is the pivot of the states commercial, social and other economic activities in the state. The local government contributes over 70% of the states government internally, generated revenue which is largely collected from the indigenous Jasawa. Please refer to the table below of tax and education levy collected from our wards as at 31/3/88.

S/N.

WARDS

APPROVED ASSESSMENT

COLLECTED SO FAR

PERCENTAGE

1.

Abba na Shehu ward

N34,275.00

N18,670.00

54.45%

2.

Ali Kazaure ward

N38,200.0

N19,220.00

45.46%

3.

Dalhatu ward

N14,000.000

N12,370.00

88.35%

4.

Gangare ward

N17,425.00

N7,270.00

41.72%

5.

Garba Daho ward

N30,325.00

N21,580.00

71.16%

6.

Ibrahim Katsina ward

N22,050.00

N7,585.00

54.91%

7.

Janta ward

N7,575.00

N2,250.00

29.70%

8.

Tafawa Balewa ward

N12,050.00

N10,525.00

88.55%

9.

Sarkin Arab ward

N22,000.00

N9,370.00

42.59%

10.

Vanderpuye ward

N7,875.00

N1.595.00

20.25%



1998 TOTAL COMMUNITY TAX, EDUCATION LEVY AS 31/3/88

Despite our clear history and massive contribution to the development of the area politically, socially and economically, we are segregated upon. As at now there is only one district in the whole local government area. Also another example was at the stewardship of Sir Fidelis Tapgun when he intended to increase the number of districts in the state, our areas mentioned above were excised, belonging to no districts but just floating wards.

For the source of these facts please refer to "The Nigerian Standard" of 19/10/93. Instead out of selfish interests Hwolshe and Girgiring of Jos South were merged to Jos North. This decision to single out these wads was informed by the desire to deny natural justice to our people who constitute the majority of the total populace. As at today Jos North with only one district (Gwong) has a rejected population of 493,685 people (based on 1991 census). This is against the call by the Government White Paper on Chieftaincy Affairs in Plateau State in September, 1976. The panel state:

"…In order to achieve ethnic harmony and for the purpose of peace and stability in general, a district should be created in Jos town comprising the following wards".

The wards includes:

i. Abba Na Shehu Ward

ii. Ali Kazaure Ward

iii. Dalhatu Ward

iv. Garba Daho Ward

v. Ibrahim Katsina Ward

vi. Sarkin Arab Ward

vii. Gangare Ward

viii. Naraguta "A" Ward

ix. Naraguta "B" Ward

x. Tudun Wada -Kabong Ward

xi. Jenta Adamu Ward

xii. Tafawa Balewa Ward



COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

By 105, and within 2 few years thereafter, the whole of the Plateau word been occupied and pacified by the British.

The British incursion into the Plateau was spurred by the mining department of the Royal Nigeria Company in accordance with the aims of the colonial administration in Nigeria; to pacify and administered in the interest of trade.

In 1906, Jos was administered as part of Bauchi with headquarters at Naraguta (Narrkuta) which was later transferred to Jos around 1920-22.

In 1926, after the creation of the Plateau province which came into being as one of the measures of the reorganisation of Northern provinces in which 5 divisions were part of (Jos Pankshin, Jama’a, Shendam, and Southern). Jos was made the provincial headquarters and seat of govt.

The administrative machinery that evolved was made up of a central treasury, police prison and courts in each division under the direct control of the district officer.

According to Plotmicor, at the onset, the colonial administration tried to keep culturally dissimilar ethnic groups separate. Thus the urban centre of Jos was divided into (2) two separate administrative units.

Native town (which was founded by the Hausa) subordinate to the Divisional native administration which was before 1921 located at Naraguta.

The township (which was where the settler population lived) was a separate entity of its own within Jos where Asians and Europeans eventually settled but in a special reservation a part from other Africans- ‘Anguwan Turawa’ (G.R.A.).

Both the township and the native Town invited powers of local govt. and civic administration.

The township was under the jurisdiction of the ministry for local government. of the then Northern Region with communication and command generally handed through the Resident of Plateau province.

The native town on the other hand was what Plotmicor described as a subordinate native authority under the partial control of the Jos native Administration which was co-extensive with Jos Division.23

When Jos was declared a second class township in 1920, its council was determined by the colonial administration. The geographical and jurisdictional boundaries of the township were defined by the govern (of the then Norther Region) who also authorized a local authority, a civil service and ordinances in accordance of 1917. It should be noted that the advisory board of 1921 was made of entirely Europeans who represented government. department and Europeans commercial interests.

The structure of this advisory board of 1921 was made of entirely European commercial interests.

The structure of this advisory board remained unchanged except for the later inclusion of some Levantine members, up- till the time of Nigeria’s in dependence in 1960.

The following were the two (2) vital posts given due consideration by the colonial masters all headed by Hausa men. These are

Treasury = (MA’AJI)

Police = (YANDOKA)

TREASURY

= The treasury was headed by Ma’aji who is a Hausa by tribe and was usually appointed by colonial government.

The Ma’aji kept a cash book, daily abstract, vote service, ledger, Tax Account books etc. these books were checked monthly and subjected to periodical surprise checks by senior officers of the administration.

POLICE

The maintenance of law and order was in the hands of Nigeria Police a detachment of which was stationed first at Naraguta and later at Jos. It was armed constabulary which provided detachments for the headquarters of all the divisions in the province of Bauchi & Borno. There was a commissioner of police, one assistant and 100 other ranks. Most of them were Hausa’s (Jasawa).

The native police (Yandoka) who were 100% Hausa’s (Jasawa) worked hand-in-hand with the Nigeria Federal Police which had jurisdiction only in township while the authority police was responsible for maintaining law and order else where in the city. Both of them however co-ordinated their activities in Jos and the mines fields.

Since January 1960 according to Plotmicor, the police forces have been combined into the Nigeria police force under federal government.

The Hausa chief according to Plotmicor was referred to as Sarkin Jos pointing out however that "but this title ‘chief of Jos’ referred to the native town and not Jos Division"25

In 1929, there were six wards each with a Hausa Head (Mai Angwa) who was responsible for collecting taxes and settling minor disputes. According to the Jos divisional quarterly report, 1929 quoted by plotmicor the "Mai Angwa" kept the district officer informed of villiants, trouble makers, prostitutes, in habitual criminals and other undersirables elements whom his wished repatriated or at least expelled from Jos.

In 1932, an official/Advisory control of the Sarkin Jos (Mallam Isiaku) was formed. The members of this council composed of four-ex-officiol ward heads and 33 representatives of other tribes (who acted as advisers on matters affecting their tribes) and nominated to the township advisory board.

When the town council came into being in 1950, its elected members were proportional to the tribal representation within each ward. Elections to the town councils began in 1950 with the wards councils acting as the electoral colleges.

The Hausa Chief whose status had just been reduced to Magajin Garin Jos sat as its vice-president.

According to Plotmicor, "when the Hausa protested against this and constantly petitioned to have the native Town (which they found) removed from the jurisdiction of the Birom native authority, the Birom Tribal council suspended the Jos Town Council on the grounds that it was working satisfactorily.

However, it is on record that the lack of success of the Town council was not due to unsatisfactory the work by the Hausa. Plotmicor says in this regard that "It was rather too big for its purpose".26

Even the ward council according to Plotmicor more unsuccessful and used to be abandoned in 1953 only the council at Sarkin Arab ward had met regularly and showed any sense of civil responsibility among all the councils.

After 1956, severed Town councils were dis-abandoned and reformed, but ward representation confined in the council through the appointed of ward heads as ex-officio members, though the number of representatives allocated to each ward was on the basis of its total population.

So did things go till independent and a lot of changes have continued since then with successive administrations.



CHAPTER FOUR

RELIGION IN JOS

Three religions- Islam, Christianity and Traditional/African religion are found in Jos. Jos is predominantly a Muslims area, especially, in the native Town where the Muslims by far out numbered Christians. According to Plotmicor there were, as at 1950, a total of 12,339 Muslims as against the Christians who numbered about 7,116.27 However, in the township quarter’s side where most southerners lived Christians are more. Infact the firs churches in Jos were built in that area.

ISLAM

Contrary to the situation in most areas in Northern Nigeria and even on the Plateau, which were Islamized during the Jihad of Usman Danfodio, Jos which was founded in the 20th century, long after the Jihad by Muslim Hausas grew up as a predominantly Muslim town and was regarded as such by the colonial administrators when they came.

The history of Islam in Jos is poorly documented and therefore, most of what is written here, is what this researcher has succeeded in constructing from oral testimonies offered by numerous Muslims. It was said since the settlement was at Naraguta, they had been predominantly Muslims and continued to be so even after the settlement had moved to Jos.

It is not known exactly when the first central Mosque was built in Jos. However, oral testimonies from various people interviewed are regarded that the mosque was situated at the tail end "Adebayo" Street. It is also suggested that the mosque was built during the reign of Sarkin Jos- Barde.

The mosque at Butcher lane, along "Dilimi" street is said to have replaced the one at Adebayo street when it could no longer- contain the increasing number of Muslims. This mosque is said to have been built during the reign of Sarki Isiyaku.

The present mosque which is the largest IN THE "TIN CITY" was constructed through communal effort by Muslims. It was declared open by the chief Imam of "MEDINA" in company of the then premier of Northern Nigeria, the Saradauna of Sokoto, late sir Ahmadu Bello around 1963.

The significance of the central mosque is that it is used for congregational and Friday prayers at which Muslims gather to pray. That is why it is referred to as Massalachin Juma’a.

There are many other mosques all over the town in which Muslims performed their five daily prayers either due to proximity to their homes or for sect reasons.

There were, among the Muslims in Jos, followers of religious sects such as Tijjaniyya, Quadiriyya and Ahmadiyya which all seek to purify the Islamic religion in their own way.

Until recently, membership of the sects was known only to members and Tijjaniya seems to have more followers. Among the Chief Imams remembered are Liman-Mallam Haruna who is said to have been the Chief Imam since at Naraguta. Then Mallam Mustapha. No time has been precisely given to their periods of Imamship, but it is certain that the later was succeeded by Mallam Adamu whose period is said to have fallen between 1924 and 1950 when he died. Mallam Hamza is mentioned as his successor. It is not clear when he died too. He was, however succeeded by Mallam Bala Adamu. He died in 1976. Alhaji Abdu Na’ibi relieved him from 1976 - 1978 and was succeeded by the present Chief Imam Alhaji Saidu Hanajan. It was around 1950 Chief Imam seized to be paid by the local authority.

Imams are usually well learned and erudite Islamic Scholars who are well versed in Islamic Theology, jurisprudence, Hadith and the Holy Qur’an. An Imam was selected by special committee set up for the purpose among the biggest Muslim Ulama in Jos Town. The Imams also functioned as officiating clergy men during marriage and naming ceremonies.

Islamic education was presided in traditional Islamic Schools - Makaranta Allo, where children gathered and learned to write the Holy Qur’an in verses written in black tawada, on the wooden slates called Allo.

The lessons are usually graded by the Mallam who uses individualized from instruction to teach such schools numbered over five hundred (500) and are still developing.

There were also more advanced schools in Hadith and Jurisprudence are learned under the most prominent schools were those Mallam Abdu Alkalin Shendam, Mallam Alhaji Mai Jalalaini, Alkali Abubakar, Mallam Usman Narogo, Mallam Alin Takai and the most prominent Sheikh’ in Jos Sheikh Ibrahim Mushaddid", Mallam Abubakar Nashago. The Muslims also contributed to the provision of Western Education Institution in Jos. Due to the multiplicity of Christians Missionary primary Schools and the restricted admissions to Muslim children who would not attend such schools even if admitted, Muslims religions organization began to establish their own schools to cater for their own children, moreover schools built by the native authority were inadequate.

So, Muslim organization like Nurudeen, Ansal-ud-deen, Nawair-ud-deen, establish their own primary schools between 1940-50. While during the same period one of the Hausa scholars, Alhaji Ahmadu Arabi may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amin; established Islamiyya Primary Schools. A secondary school was also established by the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, called the Sardauna Memorial College Jos in 1974 which was later taken over by the government. It is presently government Day Secondary school Jos. And now revert back to owner J.N. by our able governor Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye as Sardauna Memorial, College Jos.

Due to the deep root influence of either Christianity or the traditional African religion or both, few Plateau tribes were converted to "ISLAM". This might however not be unconnected with the 19th century raid on their settlements by the Emirs of Hausa states, which might have alienated them from the religion. Unfortunately, due to lack of records, these few that were converted are not known exactly.

THE SUDAN INTERIOR MISSION (S.I.M)

This was an international and interdenominational mission which established its headquarters in Jos.

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN RELIGION:

There were also followers of the traditional African religion whom plotmicor calls animinist; they make up 35% of the total population.28

These people neither profess Islam nor Christianity and refer to uphold their traditional beliefs even though they may publicly be Muslims or Christians. Among the Jassawa (Hausa), the Bori-cult was also in existence. there is however no known shrine of the Bori cults, except that it is common knowledge that many members of the community patronise the Bori or witchcraft as the case may be. It is however known each time; it is being practice as part of their ritual, which features a lot of drumming and dancing done in the open.

CHRISTIANITY AND CHRISTIAN MISSIONS:

There were by the 1950's three major Christians missions headquarters at Jos. They are the Sudan interior missions (S.I.M), Sudan united mission (S.U.M) and the Roman Catholic Mission several missions reflecting the variety of Christian affiliation among the population. So also were other Churches like Aladura, Cherubim and Seraphim and other Pentecostal Churches population. So also were other churches like the Jehovah's Witness and the Assemblies of God.

THE SUDAN UNITED MISSION (S.U.M)

This mission started on the Plateau around 1907 at gyel near Bukuru. Since then, the mission developed into a autonomous bodies by various European communities; so that they could spread the gospel in the whole of Northern Nigeria. The British-sponsored group was the one stationed on the Plateau while others spread to other area. However, probably due to the good climate conditions in Jos the general council meeting of whole Nigeria was held at Jos.

The National Church, which used come into being through the S.U.M., was an incorporated body known in Hausa as the Ekklesiyyar Kristi. A Sudan (E.KA.S) translated the fellowship of Christian churches in the Sudan. This comes to the largest protestant group in the whole of Northern Nigeria.

THE SUDAN INTERIOR MISSION (S.I.M)

This was an international and interdenominational mission which established its headquarters in Jos in 1923.

Though work in the Northern part of the country by this mission began as early as 1901 when its first mission was opened at Pategi (in Niger state) within a short time it had established several missions not only in Nigeria but also throughout West Africa. In northern Nigeria alone it used about 200 stations and Jos as its African Headquarters. This mission also concerned itself with medical work. By 1926, when Plateau province was created, Jos its capital, grew rapidly too, with it grew the catholic community in Jos which was hitherto only visited as an out station from Shendam. The present mission at Church Street was then built and in 1930 they established their first school.

A cathedral was built in 1932-33 and on the 8th April 1934 the prefecture apostolic church of Jos was established and had under it apart from Plateau, Bauchi, and parts of Borno, Benue, Zaria and Adamawa (then provinces) to take care of.

In April 1953 due to the increasing number of catholic adherents in Jos it was raised to the full status of a diocese with a full-fledged Bishop. There are at present 3 parishes; St. Theresa's St. Fatima's and another at Nassarawa Gwom.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION:

The Roman Catholic Mission came to the Plateau as a result of the 1906 commissioning of some catholic fathers from Asaba to establish a mission station somewhere in the area north of the Benue Rivers.

Consequently, In January 1917, in January three reverend fathers were dispatched from Assaba by paddle-steamer for Lokoja, where they hired canoes to take them up the River Benue. At Ibi, they met captain Burton, a colonial officers, who advised them to go to Shendam because, according to him the area was inhabited by 'pagans'.

Shendam was the first port of Roman Catholic evangelisation. It was from there catolism spread to other parts of Northern Nigeria, Plateau province in general and Jos in particular.

One of the three Reverened fathers from Asaba Monsignor Waller visited Naraguta, the then headquarters of Naraguta division in 1918. He was said to held mass and baptised some infants in a little mud church built by a handful of Christians (mainly Igbo) on the site of the present cathedral by Church spread the first Reverend sister that came to Jos in 1942 interested themselves in school work and later in maternity clinical work.



IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS:

The importance of the coming of the Christian missionaries to Jos cannot be overemphasized, in view of the impetus they had on the development of Jos.

It is an open secret for instance that apart from excelling themselves in spreading the Gospel, they contributed immensely in the provision of health facilities and educational institutions in Jos.

In the area of evangelism, it is necessary to mention that the missionaries were able to convert people to Christianity, even among the widely acclaimed Muslim (Jasawa) of the native town. Mention must be made here of the conversion,, in 1932, of one Hausa Muslim who was not only an important member for the community but also the president of the Muslim Alkali court in Jos at that time.29 The convert, Alkali Ibrahim had to forfeit his Job as a result of his conversion from Christianity to "Islam".

That is not to say, he was the only convert. A lot more could have been converted, but this was indeed significant consideration what he lost as a result. He was said to have preached Christianity among the (Jasawa). In the other fields the Christian missionaries were responsible for opening many educational institutions at both primary and secondary school levels. Worth mentioning here, is the effort of the R.C.M. which opened many institutions.

Educational activities by the R.C.M. included the convert primary school Jos which catered for the primary education for girls ;St Murumba College for Boys, and the major Seminary in Jos.

To the credit of the R.C.M. is also the establishment of our Lady of Apostle maternity Hospital which began in 1945 along church street and later moved to it present site in 1955. At the beginning, its staff were mainly German, who were helped by nurses and midwives graduated from its midwifery training school which started in 1957.

On the ticket of the S.I.M was the establishment of several institutions. Most notable was the establishment in 1959 Evangel Hospital (popularly known as Jankwano, named after the red zinc roofing of the Hospital) in addition to a dental clinic and medical auxiliaries training school.

There are other Christian missionary organisations, worthy of note, like the Anglican church which was mainly schools to its credit- St. Paul Jenta, St. Paul’s Township and St. Luke's primary school and St. John' College, so also is the Baptist church which has Baptist Primary school and Baptist high school. However, due to certain unavoidable limitations, these note worthy missions have not been fully discuses.



CHAPTER FIVE

TIN MINING AND THE GROWTH OF JOS

Tin mining is to Jos what Gold mining and its trade was to the ancient sundanese empire of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, many centuries ago. In the case of Jos, it is a well-known fact that Jos owes its existence to the discovery of tin and that it grew to cater for the interests of mining industry.

Tin mining like other well established industries such as the Sokoto leather-work or the Kano dyed-cloth industry, played an important part not only in the economy and the rise of Jos but also in the economy of the country as far back as the 16th century and perhaps much earlier.

Prior to the coming of the white men. Tin mining was practice only in the northern part of the Plateau around Bukuru, Ngell and Tilden-Fulain. The tin then mined from alluvial and code deposits and smelted by traditional method, had its ore brought by traders to Ririwen Kano and Ririwen Delma,30 which were important contents for smelting tin to straw Tin bars.

It is on record 31 that in the 120's Clapperton saw crude anti-money of tin, from the Plateau at the Kano market.

According to professor Sanya Onabamiro,32 towards the end of the last century, traders of the Royal Niger Company were puzzled by articles of barter (Straw tin) used by the people living in Plateau to obtain cloths and other trade materials from European merchants. The reason for their puzzle according to professor Onabamiro was because they had found that the metal was not important into the north from the Sahara as they formerly supposed. yet they could not obtain any information as to how the tin was smelted

By the 1830's attempts to find the actual source of tin started. But it was not until 1902 the first sample of tin ore sent to England by Sir Williams Wallace (then activity high commissioner) had been examined by the imperial institute;33 where over 80% of tin dioxide equal to about 64% of metallic tin, and Jos Plateau was proved to be its source.

After the pacification of the north and the proclamation of the Northern protectorate by the British Officers attached to the Royal Niger Company decided to make serious and practical attempts to solve the puzzle of the actual source of tin.

Reminiscent of the African Associations expeditions to solve the river Niger puzzle, the Royal Niger Company employed colonel Nicolaus to undertake and expedition to solve the problem.

It is worth of note that the importance of tin of the British at that point in time could not be over stated considering the industrial development in Britain, and the use to which Tin could be used in the British industrial economy. Tin is soft and is relay used on its own. Its chief use is in a no toxic coating in Tin Plate for cans. Its is also used in many alloys like solder for bronze and to produce tin chemicals. It can also be combined with many metals to improve their performance.

THE TIN EXPEDITIONS:

The first Tin expedition was that of Gorge Nocolaus in 1902. In this expedition, Nocolaus reached Badiko, near Bauchi, where casseterite or tin ore was sold. And it was from there, that Hausa traders took the tin ore to Ririwen Kano for smelting. From here, he learnt that tin was mined at Tilden-Fulani, in the part of the Plateau where no white had yet set his foot. The exploiter was able to journey as far as to the Naraguta hills where he saw that the Dilimi River was indeed rich in Tin ore- 'Kua'.

It is significant to note that this expedition had formed to be success, in that the source or at least the actual area where the Tin ore is mined had at least been unknown to them. This explains the seriousness and greater vigour with which subsequent expeditions were undertaken.

In spite of the stiff resistance to European penetration into the Plateau in the following year (1903) a month expedition was organised under colonel H.S laws.

In this expedition colonel laws, also a mining engineer, was accompanied by 600 carriers bringing mining and prospecting equipment, food supply and medical supply for one year34 and other mining equipments. The expedition was also accompanied by a detachment of twenty-five soldiers (Hausa and Yoruba) of the Royal Niger west African frontier force (W.A.F.F.)

Colonel laws approached the Plateau from the North and on arrival from Bauchi set up his main camp at place, which became the Naraguta mine now abandoned.

While he made Naraguta his permanent mining camp with two of his European assistant he reached Jagindi towards the end of October 1903. From there a tour was made to Tilden-Fulani, which became his prospecting base. One Christmas Eve 1903 he reached the neibourhood of Bukuru, where he spent that years Christmas. Within a few year he had established a prosperous operation, exploiting about 129 tons of castrate in 1907 and 25 tons of smelted Tin.

Earlier in 1094, he was joined by another white assistant R.A. Arch hold, with whom he was able to concentrate on his mining activities. They surveyed the course of Dilimi River from its source to Naraguta, plotted their mining lease and were soon extracting Tin and Smelting it using their own equipments. The first beacon to mark the area which was inscribed "HWLSWCRAA 1904" is now preserved as a national monument.35 The Hausa traders who came to take part on the mining expedition settled in what came to be known as Jos.

Despite the activity and success of colonel laws in subduing the local people with the West African frontier, development of Tin Mining by foreign interest grew slowly and until 1909 they were the only operating company.

At first due to lack of roads and other modern infra-structural facilities, after the Tin ore was ruined and smelted into straw tin, it was transported to Loko on the river Benue by head portage.

The journey began from a point36 outside the present Nigeria Airways office, from where a congregation of porters met before proceeding on foot and donkeys to Loko.

From Loko the tin was loaded into barges and taken to Facades for transhipment a total of thirty-five days, to coast. This tin was valued #29:10 per ton.

The porters on the other hand were paid a pence a day for the 200- mile journey.

Although the Niger Company was extracting Tin by 1904, the main expansion of activity did not occur until 1909-1913 when Jos Plateau resembled the mix can Gold rush. Mining leases were obtained during the boom period by 81 companies in 1911 and by 150 companies in 1913.

This has been attributed partly to the fall in investment in the Gold mines and the commitment by the government. to build a railway line linking the tin fields to the coast in order to facilitate its exploration by British.

However, at the beginning of world war 2 short recession and thousand of mines workers were laid off while others had their pay reduced from a pence to 6 pence a day. This was in spite of the need to sue Tin for military uses which trebbled the demand for Tin between 1914-1919 to an an

[quote author=ochukoccna link=topic=384215.msg5377587#msg5377587 date=1264354896]
Below is my take on the Jos crisis--

[size=16pt][color=#990000]Well we give God or is it devil the glory that the seed Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida alias self styled evil genius had sown just in 1991 has grown rapidly and is bearing fruits in hundreds and thousands fold albeit human blood corpses. We are rest assured that the blood of the innocent Christians and of course Muslims and definitely the pagans killed in all the Jos religious crises is all on his head. By the special grace of Allah [b](SAW)

Should be S.W.T not S.A.W


FYI truth hurts;


The Foundation Of Jos

By Ahmad Sani
Jos

Email: fatisan2001@yahoo.com
March 07, 2007


THE FOUNDATION OF JOS

Introduction

The world over, it is never a friction for policies and principles to be dynamic. In fact dynamism has for many years been adopted as the philosophy of the various times. Needless to emphasise, therefore, that the various dynamic strides in Nigeria are nothing but the much desirable for.

However, for the purpose of this book, emphasis will be placed on the dynamism of the Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria. The book intends to discuss in depth the historical evolution of Hausa/Fulani (Jasawa) in Jos, also the emergence of the Jos North local government area right from native authority to date. The period of 1909 to date and many others. But for the purpose of emphasis, it must be pointed out at the on set that the focus of the book will be searchlight on the Ownership of "Jos" by Hausa/Fulani (Jasawa). A Myth, or A reality? A question in deed. The ownership of Jos by Hausa’s matters of the above question. It can be seen from the point of view a reality owing to the fact that some forms of ownership actually exist.

However, despite the above, the fact still remains that the analysis must be a two-way approach and for proper analysis, the discussant must ascend up to the mountain in order to view the valley.

Original Inhabitants

The issue of the original dwellers in Jos as a matter of great controversy in its history. The controversy is better understood by taking a look at the evolution of this early 20th century city.

Mention must however be made of the seriousness with which any categorical statement on this issue would draw. First of all, if it could be proved who the indigenes of Jos are, the problem (which is the subject of conflict) of the chieftaincy institution would surely be solved.

Secondly, there is a ranging conflict about weather or not certain tribe is indigenous, in Jos. At this juncture, it is worthy to note that conferring the indignity of Jos on any of the tribes would mean ownership of Jos hence the right to the traditional stool of the tin city.

In discussing the indigenes of Jos it is first of all significant if not necessary to examine some important facts, because it is on their remises that any conclusion on this issue would be made.

According to C.G. Ames,1 the people of this Plateau:-

"are not aboriginal inhabitants of the province, though they

have all been living in their present lands for a very long time"

It is on record (Ames) that the history of the people of the Plateau began at several distinct sources all of which are outside the Plateau and many of which are very distant indeed.

Their history is characterized by what (Ames) farther describes at

"Lines of migration of people starting from different sources independently and finally arriving at those parts… in which the present decedents of these early immigrants are now living".

Given that the inhabitants of the Plateau as a whole are not aboriginal, but have migrated from distant places, it would not be wrong to say that the first people to settle in an area or who would be said to have founded a settlement would be the area’s indigenes.

It should be bone in mind that since the dawn of military era, and other forms of administration that predated-independent Nigeria. Several panels and commissions have been set up to find how best to settle the perpetual conflict of the indignity (Ownership of Jos) without prejudices in the conflict. These in the conflict are, Anaguta, Biroms, Hausas and Jarawa.

In discussing the indigenes of Jos, it is first of all significant if not necessary to examine some important factors because it is on their premises that any logical conclusion on this issue would be made.

It is on record that the history of the people of the Plateau began at several distinct sources all of which are outside the Plateau and many of which are very distant in need.

The history can be further describe as "lines of migration for people starting from different sources independently and finally arriving at these parts in which the present descendants for these early immigrants are now living"

Given that the inhabitants of the Plateau as a whole are not original, but have migrated from distant places, it would be the area indigenes. (The statement indeed).

These in the conflict are, Hausas, Anaguta, Jarawa and Biroms. It would be appropriate to look at the origin of the tribes struggling for the indignity of Jos vis-à-vis their connection with Jos.

BIROMS:

The claim for the total ownership (indigeneship) of Jos by Biroms is a child of recent birth. The claim began to surface (For what ever reason) often about 50 years of Hausa rulership of Jos.

Before taking a look at the origin of the Biroms it should be noted that prior to the (excising of Jos from Bauchi in 1926), no single settlement of Biroms could be traced within the vicinity of Jos Town.

As to their origin, Wukari is mentioned in the notes on the tribes of northern Nigeria3 as their place of origin. Reason for their exodus was probably due to the rise of the Jukun Empire or perhaps at a later date to free themselves from the Jukun Yoke. Their migration to Plateau landed them first at Ashono. From Ashono according to Biroms tradition, they moved to Riyom from where the expansion of the tribe took them to Machi, Afang, Assob, Rim, Jal Kuru, Ron Gyel, Zawan, Heipwang and Foron. Which made up the then southern part of Jos Division.

It is therefore, incomprehensible that from the foregoing, that the Biroms people should lay claim to the ownership of Jos. This book will not concern itself (at least for the moment) with the reasons for Biroms action.

ANAGUTA:

Even though, the Anagutas are in the northeast of Jos settled largely on the Naraguta hills where they joined others (Probably Jarawas) and became the Anagutas, an authority on Anaguta history states in his book titled CONTEMPORARY CHANGES IN TRADITIONAL SOCIETIES- THE ANAGUTA OF NIGERIA4 that, the ancestors of the Anagutas had always lived in Gwong (Present Nasarawa Gwom) and that their elders believed their fore fathers emerged from holes in the ground in the vicinity of their present settlement. The Anagutas have no definite tales of migration or any elaborate tales of origin.

Looking at these points, the issue of any people emerging from any holes is simply not tenable. Before analyzing the tradition, it is first of all important to note that the Anagutas rejected the Biroms affiliations to their origin on the ground that they did not recognize any genetic connection between them and the Birom people.

On the issue of emerging from a hole by the Anagutas was only an attempt by them to cling to their present lands in cases of contemporary changes. 5

What is significant about the Anagutas claim is that the boarders of the district of Gwong include a substantial portion of the city of Jos "even though" the Anagutas have no Administrative connection with the municipality.6

It is interesting to note the existence of the Jos along side Hausa native town as "Jos (Pagan) along side about three miles to the east"7 was Anagutas settlements that seem to give credence to the claim by the Anagutas.

Whenever the case, just as the town now grows to meet villages of Gwong district in Anabor or Jigwong, Zangan (or andoho), Rigiza and Andigwong will not make it mandatory for the Anagutas to claim ownership of Jos native town.

JARAWA:

As for them, their main part is in the Bauchi emirate, the Jos section coming originally Lamingo to avoid conquest by the Emirs of Bauchi. The Jarawa, to this day hold allegiance to the main body which was later excised from Bauchi State in 1979, and returned to Lamingo in Jos for circumcision and other "TSAFI" ritual ceremonies.

The Jarawa are found widespread in numerous settlement, probably due to their adventure and travelling. That is probably why they are found in places as widely separated as Kanan, Inshar, Foran, Char and Kwaki: those now in Plateau are found in Federe, Fabur, Fursun, Maigemu and Shere were brought from Bauchi as a result of the 1976 boundary adjustments of the Irikefe panel. Those nearest to Jos are the ones that immigrated into Gwong District, among the Anagutas to whom they are subordinate in the area to this day.

The claim, therefore, by the Jarawa seems to have no weight because even among the Anagutas in Gwong District they acknowledge the primacy of the Anagutas in Gwong and properly regard themselves as recent immigrants from Bauchi States.

HAUSA (JASAWA)

As for Hausas they are widely acclaimed as the founders of the city of its present location. They are whom that have been described by Ames as having: "been there since the beginning of the "century". In fact it has also been admitted by Ames that some of their fore fathers were here even before the beginning of the Colonial Administration.10

The fact that the Hausas, who later moved to Jos from their first settlement at Naraguta which is a "Typical Hausa Village" 11 and their influence on the tribes of the Plateau12(i.e. in Language and Culture) seems to point that the Hausa People have been living in the Plateau for a very long time, probably for centuries before the coming of the Europeans.

It should be noted that before the end of 1910, Jos was an unoccupied farm land and attributed the beginning of Jos to the conduction of a regular market in October, 1910 when the district officer in-charge of the then Naraguta Division appointed a Hausa Market Headman and a Head Butcher and arranged for even to start a regular market.

The fact that even as close as 1950, there were only 207 people of other tribes in Jos town as opposed 10,000 Hausa (Jasawa)seemed to vindicate their indignity to Jos.

It should also be noted that another area of interest is that the Jos native town is separated more by river Dilimi with the Anagutas of Gwom Districts than by administrative purposes of the colonist. The Hausas who are well known as Jasawa and who every authority recognize as founding the "Settlement of Jos" could not be considered as aliens to the Plateau just as the other "tribes". The Jasawa have no other homes but Jos as we wonder why they being scared as indigenes of Jos native town which they have founded and developed.

The conflicts that existed in Jos were those over its political control on the one hand between Hausa (Jasawa) who see themselves as the founding fathers of the settlement and hence its legitimates rulers, and Biroms on the other hand who deemed it appropriate to rule over Jos. Talking of the problem Plotmicor quotes the Jos Division Resident Officer in a letter to the District Officers as saying that "Had the British not arrived these people would have evolved some… administration for themselves… 13 This conflict over the political control of Jos was probably due to the heterogeneous nature of the settlement which according to the colonial Resident Officer "presented problems which needed thinking out" *(Plateau Provincial Annual Report 1921)14 .

The struggle by the Biroms continued with the sympathy of the colonial administration which considered the Hausa rule as a threat to their mining activities connived with missionaries and said Hausa’s had not any sort of authority over the pagans. Gradually, the status of the Hausa Sarkin Jos was reduced to Magajin Gari by 1948 and subsequently the area came to be known as Birom N.A. after repeated protest and resentment by the Hausa it was immediately changed to Jos N.A. in 1955.

The other area of conflict emanated from the efforts of the colonial administration to maintain as distinct, the separate ethnic identities of the communities which "extended to the law court".15 This was because of the fact that by 1920 or earlier there was an Alkali courts in the Jos Hausa Native Town and all subsequent native courts in Jos were Alkali courts based on Sharia.

The conflict arose when non-muslims who resented what they saw as preferential treatment given to the Hausa Moslems, by the colonial administration began to agitate seriously for mixed courts in the 1950s. A conflict that was, however, continued till today is that over the ownership of Jos and its traditional institutions. Principal actors in these conflicts have been mentioned in the early part of this chapter. The history of the Jos traditional Stool is also embroidered in controversy and conflict. It can be traced to two periods - period of Hausa rule, 1902 - 1948, and the era of Birom ascendancy 1948 to date. (16)

THE PERIOD OF HAUSA RULES

From available record kept by colonial administration and oral testimonies, it was certain that during the more than 50 years of Hausa rule, thirteen rulers features with the title of Sarkin Jos. Oral testimonies speak of BUNU and BARDE as the first and second among the Hausa rulers who were turbaned and sent to Naraguta by the emir of Bauchi before 1902. Others were:

1. Sarkin Jos Salihu - 1902 - 1904

2. Sarkin Jos Ahmadfu Dan’inna - 1904 - 1907

3. Sarkin Jos Hasimu - 1907 - 1909

4. Sarkin Jos Buraimah - 1909 - 1914

5. Sarkin Jos Audu Sarkin Ningi - 1914 - 1915

6. Sarkin Jos Garba Dantafida - 1915 - 1920

7. Sarkin Jos Usuman Kura - 1920 - 1922

8. Sarkin Jos Samnaja Dogo - 1922 - 1925

9. Sarkin Jos Garba Waziri - 1925 - 1927

10. Sarkin Jos Saidu - 1927 - 1935

11. Sarkin Jos Isiaku - 1935 - 1948

From the above, it is clear that any counter claims by Biroms may not be taken seriously. In this case, it is necessary to state in the strongest term that we are not in any way referring to the present chieftaincy institution of GBOWG GWOM Jos, but rather we see it as absolutely necessary and our right to have a traditional title of hakimi in Jos native town.

After the status of the Hausa Sarkin Jos was reduced to Magajin Gari which was the first style introduced by colonial administration to knock Hausa’s out of the of administrations, five successive people were appointed with such title as follows:

1. Magajin Gari Mammadi

2. Wakilin Gari Dan Karfalla

3. Wakilin Gari Usman Na Garba

4. Wakilin Gari Dankarfalla

5. Wakilin Gari Alhaji Ali Kazaure

NOTES:

Bunu, the tradition relates was appointed or delegated to Jos as chief from Bauchi; following a request by both the colonial administrators and mining companies to rule the people in Jos Native Town. This was said to have happened during the reign of then Emir of Bauchi, Mallam Yakubu Mai Gari.

Due to limitations of available research materials, no official record has been found about any such request to the Emir of Bauchi, the reason (and possibility too) of such request may not be far-fetched. Administration’s (as well as the miners) indirect rule policy in which the medium of exploiting the masses was usually through their own ruling institutions which advised and respected.

Moreover, the fact that Jos was before 1926 under Bauchi province and Bauchi Emirate provided a royal avenue for the venture which would be acceptable to the Jasawa, strongly substantiated such a request.

Sarki Bunu, who was said to be the younger brother of the Emir of Bauchi first settled at Naraguta. Bunu, according to oral testimonies was a powerful ruler who got the treatment and acted in much the same aristocratic manner as the Emir of Bauchi would himself done. Perhaps it was Bunu that E.D. Morel said in his book.18 "I observed … riding into Naraguta from a distant mining camp… a gorgeously attired Mohammed Dan Sarki in his many coloured robes on a richly prisoned horse". He maintained an elaborated palace, the ruins of which exist today at Naraguta.

Once tradition relates how Bunu intercepted and released the chief of mandara, who had been arrested by the colonial government and was being taken to kaduna enroute Naraguta. By this Bunu was acclaimed as having done what even the emir of Bauchi did not attempt with the colonial government. Bunu died in Kaduna due to illness. The tradition does not specify the time of his death but said that it was after his death that the settlement moved to Jos. However, since the divisional headquarters was transferred from Naraguta to Jos in 1920 - 21, it was certain that he died before 1920.

Sources came across during this research have shown that the Hausa rulers performed important functions. For instance, it is on record19 that in 1930 Sarkin Jos Saidu and the Wazirin Zaria were appointed to a Grade ‘A’ native court to inquire into an affray between the villages of miango of the then Jos Division and pitti in Zaria Emirate which resulted in 26 death. Their investigation was up-held as a credit by the colonial authorities.

Alhaji Ali Kazaure who was the last person to hold such post of Wakilin Gari was relieved off his post in 1970 without any reason given to Hausa’s and the stool remained vacant to date the restoration of which Hausa’s hope any moment from now "ALLAH", will give his immediate consideration.

From the above explanation and clarification, one can understand that, basically and fundamentally, really and realistically Jos North Local Government area belongs to Hausa /Fulani (JASAWA).

For clarity and better understanding let us look at the ERA of Birom ascendancy.

THE ERA OF BIROM ASCENDANCY:

Moves to terminate Hausa rulership of Jos began during the time of Sarkin Jos Isiaku. In 1947 a Birom named Mallam Rwang Pam, then a headmaster at Riyom was appointed Sarkin Birom (Chief of Birom) and not Sarkin Jos (certificate attached). This was apparent because among the then ten districts that were sharing the same native authority Treasury, Birom came next to Jasawa in term of population, and there was the need, therefore, for them to have a representative at the native treasury authority. This appointment made Mallam RwangPam a member of the Birom Tribal Council, which later served as his stepping stone and opened the way for him to become the Sarkin Jos.

As faith will have it, Sarkin Jos Isiaku died in 1948. His death marked the end of Hausa rulership of Jos. The circumstances that led to the shift of the chieftaincy from the Hausas (Jasawa) to the Birom who have no locus stand over it, were highly controversial and a matter conjecture.

It is important to note that a strong probability existed that the institution a Birom chief (instead of Hausa) who was hand picked rules away from Riyom to rule over Jos, was a ground design by the colonial administration in connivance with the Tin Mining Companies to enable them tap the mineral wealth of the area unchallenged.

Another reason which now have more substance than the former, blames revolution on a trinity of colonialists Tin miners and missionaries, which sought to unite all the minorities of the Savannah region under a Christian umbrella in order to curtail the influences of the Hausas as well as to provide a suitable European settlement due to the favourable climate of the area and pave way for easy evangelisation.

It should be noted that since the formation of the settlement, no steadfast system of appointment or succession to the thrown of Sarkin Jos was followed. Consequently, by 1957 Mallam Rwang Pam20 had already begun to answer Sarkin Jos instead of Sarkin Birom. This brought great resentment by the Hausa whose post was relegated to the subordinate post of Magajin Garin Jos. This development was and is still being presented not only by the fore-founders of Jos native town, but also by other tribe who are neighbours to Hausa’s because They both feel cheated.

Mallam Rwang Pam was appointed as Sarkin Birom by "Mr. Cecil Rex Niwen" in 1957 (Copy of certificate of appointment already attached). He died on 14th July, 1969 and he was succeeded by the present Chief of Jos Dr. Fombot on 19th August, 1969. The Chief makers were Chief of Pangana, Miango and Rukuba.

As near as 1925 Jos was part and parcel of the then Bauchi province which was exercised by the then authorities who have come to meet Hausa’s living here long before advent of our colonial masters. It is an irony of fate and history that other portion of the state that were exercised along with us, namely Wase and Kanem L.G.A.’s who are also of the same Hausa/Fulani descent as Hasa’s, are fully accepted as indigenes of the state; while Hausa’s are being doubted simply because of some propaganda that was based on advantage take over the educational background of Hausa’s ancestors. Other portions that were simultaneously exercised with Hausa’s from the then Benue province and who also received full indigenous recognition of the state were Lafia, keffi, Awe and Nasarawa who are also Kanuri/Hausa/Fulani descendants.

CHAPTER THREE

Historically Jos belong 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 Biroms claimed the ownership of Jos because Gbong Jos is a Birom, neglecting the history of how the stool turned to Gbong Gwong Jos from Bwong Gwong Birom. Also the Jarawas and Anagutas claim to Jos is because of the proximity of their villages. But their historical areas though in Jos geographical division, is not in Jos native town. They are only neighbours to Jos town where as Hausa/Fulani claim, the book entitled: "This is Jos" State:

"… the twon was by 1912 referred to as" Hausa settlement of Jos"(1)

Mr. Ames (a colonial administrator) noted that:

"… the Hausa/Fulani inhabited what is presently known as Jos before the coming of the colonialists and before the Hausas Jos was an unoccupied virgin land. The Hausas have been there since the beginning of the century. No Birom had a house in the heartland of Jos. ‘He continued: "… as close as 1950, there were only 10,207 people in Jos town of which 10,000 where Hausas" (2)



Also refer to the names of heads of prisons, police, administrators, judges etc of those days. You will realize that they are all Hausas. This is Jos stated:

"… The town continued to be treated like any Hausa… city where Muslims rules applied and was completed with an alkali court

Also from the names of the wards such as Abba Na Shehu, Garba Daho, Ibrahim, Tafawa Balewa, Sarkin Arab, Gangare, Ali Kazaure and also the names of street such as Dan Karfalla, Tsoho Salihu, Masallacin Jumma’a etc, One can conclude who owns the towns. This brief history is just a tip of the lceberg considering what is on record .

Jos was an integral part of Bauchi Emirate. To support this assertion the book entitled "This is Jos state:

"……in the turn of the century, Sir William Wallace commanded an armed force to subdue the Emir of Bauchi and a political officer of this expeditionary force named Sir Richard and Temple used this opportunity to tour and map the area. It was….in march 1902, G.R Nicholas a mining engineer, undertook a successful expedition to the Jos Plateau…, The following year he returned with Colonel H.W. Laws also a mining engineer escorted by a full company of the west African Frontiers force…(6)

Agreed historically, each of the tribes claiming ownership of Jos must have migrated from one place or the other. For example Jarawas, Mwaghavuls. Ngas and part of Anaguta migrated from Bornu to Bauchi and later migrated from Bauchi to present places in Jos division or Plateau. Historically, Gbong Gwom Jos, Dr. Fom Bot claimed that the Biroms migrated from the old Gobir Empire in the present Kebbi/Sokoto State (that is Madawa, a border between Niger Republic and Sokoto)(17) while other sources said the Biroms originated from Wukari, though culturally this is not tenable, because the Biroms share no cultural hegemony with the Jukuns unlike many other tribes who share hegemony with Kwararafa. Part of the Anagutas also are said to have came from Gobir of Kebbi State.

From this historical fact it could be seen that we the Hausa/Fulani are not the only tribe that have migrated to Plateau. Even at the time of migration the Biroms, Jarawa and Anaguta should not have arrived on the same day, but still each recognised their individual territory, then why are each of them denying Hausa’s territory as well as claiming it?

THE METAMORPHOSES OF HISTORICAL DISTORTION

According to a colonial officer Mr. Plotmicer in his book entitled: Strangers to the city: the urban man in Jos, he said:

"…This unholy marriage of convenience as the collaboration of the colonists and Biroms was motivated by the desire to control the mining filed in the area (i.e. divide and rule)…(9)

This was initiated by first creating the stool of non existing central Birom chiefdom (which we had no any reason to suspect or criticise) and we are not against it. In that regard the Gbong Gwong Birom was installed in the person of Mallam Rwang Pam in 1947, not to rule over Jos but his Birom kith and kin. As at the time he was to be promoted to second class chief from third class in his letter, the deputy lieutenant Governor of Northern Nigeria, Sir Cevil Rex Niven addressed Dogwom Rwamg Pam as "Sarkin Birom" not "Sarkin Jos".

The second insidious gimmick against our people was the creation of Jos division which covered about 1,431 sq miles then, the population of the division by the 1963 census was 457,759 people. The division was then divided into nineteen independent districts. The districts does not belong to Biroms and Anagutas alone as Mr Sen Luka Gwom stated on 1st November 1997 before this honourable committee at Plateau State House of Assembly. Other tribes that were in Jos division local administration, who were later skimmed out of Jos traditional council, include Jere, Rukuba, Irigwe, Jal or Ntem, Amo etc. The nineteen independent district heads as at 1969 include:

NO.

NAME

DISTRICTS

DATE OF INSTALLATION

1.

Mallam Chai Mang

District Head of Jal

1/11/1927

2.

Mallam Maigari Minjidu

District Head of Buji

4/2/1943

3.

Mallam Pam Tok

District Head of Heipang

12/9/1943

4.

Mallam Abul Doya

District Head of Amo

14/1/1953

5.

Mallam Pam Dalyop

District Head of Vwang

29/4/1954

6.

Mallam Dung Rwang

District Head of Kwon

14/10/1954

7.

Alhaji Ali Kazaure

Wakilin Garin Jos

1/4/1959

8.

Mallam Ashi Dodo

District Head of Kwon

10/10/1959

9.

Mallam Suleh Muh. Sarki

Sarkin Garin Buruku

1/12/1960

10.

Mallam Nga Dangyang

District Head of Gyel

1/12/1960

11.

Mallam Nyoro Gwok

District Head of Gashish

30/6/1961

12.

Mallam Dalyop Gwong

District Head of Bachit

1/4/1963

13.

Mallam Pwajok Dalyop

District Head of Kuru

13/4/1964

14.

Mallam Chuwang Dung

District Head of Forom

1/4/1967

15.

Mallam Sani Dankaka

District Head of Jere

10/4/1965

16.

Mallam Dodo Do

District Head of Riyom

17/5/1968

17.

Mallam Philibus Dashwei

Ag District Head of Fan

-

18.

Mallam Mashat Bot

Ag District Head of Ropp

-

19.

Mallam Nyam Sambo

Ag District Head of Gwong

-

Source 10

Before the establishment of the British System of administration each district was virtually independent of the rest except for family ties which in some cases ran across district boundaries (11). This shows that before 1902 Jos was also independently a Hausa enclave as we had Sarkin Garin Jos not Wakilin Garin Jos then. We must therefore differentiate between Jos Native Town and Jos Division consisting of other tribes.

The chairmanship of Jos division local administration council prior to 1947 was held in rotation by these district heads. e.g. in 1946. The district head of Amo (Mallam Sambo) was the chairman of the council. It was later that permanent chairmanship was proposed (by the colonists for their own interest) and Mallam Rwang Pam was chosen in 1947 as the first chief of Birom with a title Gbong Gwom at a status of a third class chief.

In 1955 the entire division was united under one local administration as a result the paramount chief of Birom at that time made the head of the administration and a second class chief with the new title of Chief of Jos in that same 1955 (this is Jos said "it was in 1954)…"(12) while narrating how the Hausa/Fulani were robbed of their stool. The book "This is Jos" stated:

"… it was not until 1951 after innumerable agitations (instigated and decided by the colonial masters) that the status of Chief of Jos was reduced to Magajin Garin Jos and the area (was manoeuvred to) become known as Birom N.A. and later changed to Jos N.A. in 1954 (because many districts out of Jos division were not Birom speaking areas). That was when Chief of Biroms became the Chief of Jos…"(13)

This is how the Hausa/Fulani were robbed of their stool with no reason was given for that and a new designation was given to it called Magalin Garin or Wakilin Gari. As the term connotes, even these can only be given to indigenes as such five Hausa successfully ruled in that capacity namely:

i. Magajin Gari Mammadi - 1948 - 1949

ii. Wakilin Gari Muhammad Dan Karfalla -1949 - 1951

iii. Wakilin Gari Usman Na Garba - 1951 - 1956

iv. Wakilin Gari Muhammad Dan Karfalla -1956 - 1959

v. Wakilin Gari Ali Kazaure -1st April 1959 - 1973

Another attempt to strip the Hausa of Jos traditional titles was made by removing Alhaji Ali Kazaure as the Wakilin Garin Jos in 1973 which is still unoccupied.

Despite all these Hausa/Fulani were considered as indigenes in all records. Hausa/Fulani were considered as indigenes of Plateau State in the Plateau State official diary of 1990 at the page two it states:

"…The multiplicity of ethnic groups in Jos… is made up of… Biroms, Jarawa (Afizere), Anagutas and Hausa as the dominant groups…"(14).

Mallam Rwang Pam died on the 14th Jult 1969 (after twenty two years of reign) and Dr. Fom Bot was enthroned Chief of Jos (not by Birom because the stool belong to Jos division) by the Chiefs of Pengana, Nyango, Irigwe and district head of Jos division on 19/8/1969 and by ceremony was done on 20/3/70 (15)

It was then held by every tribe that Hausa/Fulani were indigenes of Jos for one cannot be part of the king makers of any society if one is an indigene. Though, the stool was unjustifiably rubbed from Hausa/Fulani but in order to make peace our people take it in good faith, as such among the king makers that selected Dr. Fom Bot were Mallam Suleh Muhammad, Mallam Sani Dankaka and Alhaji Ali Kazaure. They were among the king makers of Jos. Ali Kazaure (Wakilin Garin Jos) also assisted His Excellency the Governor of Benue-Plateau State (Mr. J.D. Gomwalk) in the installation of Dr. Fom Bot as Chief of Jos (16). This is to show the position of the Hausa/Fulanis even among the king makers of Jos and it also portray us as peace loving citizen.

HOW THE LGA CAME TO BE:

The local government came to be in 1991 when additional LGA were created in that same year. Every peace loving citizen applauded that development including Anaguta Afizere (please refer to The Sunday Standard of 20/10/1991), except some tribes out of their selfish sentiments, who were the architects of 12th April, 1994 crises which resulted in the killing of many of our people as well as setting ablaze our places of business and places of worship. After the local government settled despite their previous threats to peace the same people are now benefiting from it and we that advocated for that were fought and rejected as non citizen.

The present Jos-North LGA represents the following wards:

i. Abba Na Shehu Ward

ii. Ali Kazaure ward

iii. Dalhatu Ward

iv. Garba Daho Ward

v. Ibrahim Katsina ward

vi. Sarkin Arab Ward

vii. Gangare Ward

viii. Naraguta "A" Ward

ix. Naraguta "B" Ward

x. Tudun Wada - Kabong Ward

xi. Jenta Adamu Ward

xii. Tafawa Balewa Ward

ECONOMIC SPREAD

The local government area with our contributions in the past and present is the pivot of the states commercial, social and other economic activities in the state. The local government contributes over 70% of the states government internally, generated revenue which is largely collected from the indigenous Jasawa. Please refer to the table below of tax and education levy collected from our wards as at 31/3/88.

S/N.

WARDS

APPROVED ASSESSMENT

COLLECTED SO FAR

PERCENTAGE

1.

Abba na Shehu ward

N34,275.00

N18,670.00

54.45%

2.

Ali Kazaure ward

N38,200.0

N19,220.00

45.46%

3.

Dalhatu ward

N14,000.000

N12,370.00

88.35%

4.

Gangare ward

N17,425.00

N7,270.00

41.72%

5.

Garba Daho ward

N30,325.00

N21,580.00

71.16%

6.

Ibrahim Katsina ward

N22,050.00

N7,585.00

54.91%

7.

Janta ward

N7,575.00

N2,250.00

29.70%

8.

Tafawa Balewa ward

N12,050.00

N10,525.00

88.55%

9.

Sarkin Arab ward

N22,000.00

N9,370.00

42.59%

10.

Vanderpuye ward

N7,875.00

N1.595.00

20.25%



1998 TOTAL COMMUNITY TAX, EDUCATION LEVY AS 31/3/88

Despite our clear history and massive contribution to the development of the area politically, socially and economically, we are segregated upon. As at now there is only one district in the whole local government area. Also another example was at the stewardship of Sir Fidelis Tapgun when he intended to increase the number of districts in the state, our areas mentioned above were excised, belonging to no districts but just floating wards.

For the source of these facts please refer to "The Nigerian Standard" of 19/10/93. Instead out of selfish interests Hwolshe and Girgiring of Jos South were merged to Jos North. This decision to single out these wads was informed by the desire to deny natural justice to our people who constitute the majority of the total populace. As at today Jos North with only one district (Gwong) has a rejected population of 493,685 people (based on 1991 census). This is against the call by the Government White Paper on Chieftaincy Affairs in Plateau State in September, 1976. The panel state:

"…In order to achieve ethnic harmony and for the purpose of peace and stability in general, a district should be created in Jos town comprising the following wards".

The wards includes:

i. Abba Na Shehu Ward

ii. Ali Kazaure Ward

iii. Dalhatu Ward

iv. Garba Daho Ward

v. Ibrahim Katsina Ward

vi. Sarkin Arab Ward

vii. Gangare Ward

viii. Naraguta "A" Ward

ix. Naraguta "B" Ward

x. Tudun Wada -Kabong Ward

xi. Jenta Adamu Ward

xii. Tafawa Balewa Ward



COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

By 105, and within 2 few years thereafter, the whole of the Plateau word been occupied and pacified by the British.

The British incursion into the Plateau was spurred by the mining department of the Royal Nigeria Company in accordance with the aims of the colonial administration in Nigeria; to pacify and administered in the interest of trade.

In 1906, Jos was administered as part of Bauchi with headquarters at Naraguta (Narrkuta) which was later transferred to Jos around 1920-22.

In 1926, after the creation of the Plateau province which came into being as one of the measures of the reorganisation of Northern provinces in which 5 divisions were part of (Jos Pankshin, Jama’a, Shendam, and Southern). Jos was made the provincial headquarters and seat of govt.

The administrative machinery that evolved was made up of a central treasury, police prison and courts in each division under the direct control of the district officer.

According to Plotmicor, at the onset, the colonial administration tried to keep culturally dissimilar ethnic groups separate. Thus the urban centre of Jos was divided into (2) two separate administrative units.

Native town (which was founded by the Hausa) subordinate to the Divisional native administration which was before 1921 located at Naraguta.

The township (which was where the settler population lived) was a separate entity of its own within Jos where Asians and Europeans eventually settled but in a special reservation a part from other Africans- ‘Anguwan Turawa’ (G.R.A.).

Both the township and the native Town invited powers of local govt. and civic administration.

The township was under the jurisdiction of the ministry for local government. of the then Northern Region with communication and command generally handed through the Resident of Plateau province.

The native town on the other hand was what Plotmicor described as a subordinate native authority under the partial control of the Jos native Administration which was co-extensive with Jos Division.23

When Jos was declared a second class township in 1920, its council was determined by the colonial administration. The geographical and jurisdictional boundaries of the township were defined by the govern (of the then Norther Region) who also authorized a local authority, a civil service and ordinances in accordance of 1917. It should be noted that the advisory board of 1921 was made of entirely Europeans who represented government. department and Europeans commercial interests.

The structure of this advisory board of 1921 was made of entirely European commercial interests.

The structure of this advisory board remained unchanged except for the later inclusion of some Levantine members, up- till the time of Nigeria’s in dependence in 1960.

The following were the two (2) vital posts given due consideration by the colonial masters all headed by Hausa men. These are

Treasury = (MA’AJI)

Police = (YANDOKA)

TREASURY

= The treasury was headed by Ma’aji who is a Hausa by tribe and was usually appointed by colonial government.

The Ma’aji kept a cash book, daily abstract, vote service, ledger, Tax Account books etc. these books were checked monthly and subjected to periodical surprise checks by senior officers of the administration.

POLICE

The maintenance of law and order was in the hands of Nigeria Police a detachment of which was stationed first at Naraguta and later at Jos. It was armed constabulary which provided detachments for the headquarters of all the divisions in the province of Bauchi & Borno. There was a commissioner of police, one assistant and 100 other ranks. Most of them were Hausa’s (Jasawa).

The native police (Yandoka) who were 100% Hausa’s (Jasawa) worked hand-in-hand with the Nigeria Federal Police which had jurisdiction only in township while the authority police was responsible for maintaining law and order else where in the city. Both of them however co-ordinated their activities in Jos and the mines fields.

Since January 1960 according to Plotmicor, the police forces have been combined into the Nigeria police force under federal government.

The Hausa chief according to Plotmicor was referred to as Sarkin Jos pointing out however that "but this title ‘chief of Jos’ referred to the native town and not Jos Division"25

In 1929, there were six wards each with a Hausa Head (Mai Angwa) who was responsible for collecting taxes and settling minor disputes. According to the Jos divisional quarterly report, 1929 quoted by plotmicor the "Mai Angwa" kept the district officer informed of villiants, trouble makers, prostitutes, in habitual criminals and other undersirables elements whom his wished repatriated or at least expelled from Jos.

In 1932, an official/Advisory control of the Sarkin Jos (Mallam Isiaku) was formed. The members of this council composed of four-ex-officiol ward heads and 33 representatives of other tribes (who acted as advisers on matters affecting their tribes) and nominated to the township advisory board.

When the town council came into being in 1950, its elected members were proportional to the tribal representation within each ward. Elections to the town councils began in 1950 with the wards councils acting as the electoral colleges.

The Hausa Chief whose status had just been reduced to Magajin Garin Jos sat as its vice-president.

According to Plotmicor, "when the Hausa protested against this and constantly petitioned to have the native Town (which they found) removed from the jurisdiction of the Birom native authority, the Birom Tribal council suspended the Jos Town Council on the grounds that it was working satisfactorily.

However, it is on record that the lack of success of the Town council was not due to unsatisfactory the work by the Hausa. Plotmicor says in this regard that "It was rather too big for its purpose".26

Even the ward council according to Plotmicor more unsuccessful and used to be abandoned in 1953 only the council at Sarkin Arab ward had met regularly and showed any sense of civil responsibility among all the councils.

After 1956, severed Town councils were dis-abandoned and reformed, but ward representation confined in the council through the appointed of ward heads as ex-officio members, though the number of representatives allocated to each ward was on the basis of its total population.

So did things go till independent and a lot of changes have continued since then with successive administrations.



CHAPTER FOUR

RELIGION IN JOS

Three religions- Islam, Christianity and Traditional/African religion are found in Jos. Jos is predominantly a Muslims area, especially, in the native Town where the Muslims by far out numbered Christians. According to Plotmicor there were, as at 1950, a total of 12,339 Muslims as against the Christians who numbered about 7,116.27 However, in the township quarter’s side where most southerners lived Christians are more. Infact the firs churches in Jos were built in that area.

ISLAM

Contrary to the situation in most areas in Northern Nigeria and even on the Plateau, which were Islamized during the Jihad of Usman Danfodio, Jos which was founded in the 20th century, long after the Jihad by Muslim Hausas grew up as a predominantly Muslim town and was regarded as such by the colonial administrators when they came.

The history of Islam in Jos is poorly documented and therefore, most of what is written here, is what this researcher has succeeded in constructing from oral testimonies offered by numerous Muslims. It was said since the settlement was at Naraguta, they had been predominantly Muslims and continued to be so even after the settlement had moved to Jos.

It is not known exactly when the first central Mosque was built in Jos. However, oral testimonies from various people interviewed are regarded that the mosque was situated at the tail end "Adebayo" Street. It is also suggested that the mosque was built during the reign of Sarkin Jos- Barde.

The mosque at Butcher lane, along "Dilimi" street is said to have replaced the one at Adebayo street when it could no longer- contain the increasing number of Muslims. This mosque is said to have been built during the reign of Sarki Isiyaku.

The present mosque which is the largest IN THE "TIN CITY" was constructed through communal effort by Muslims. It was declared open by the chief Imam of "MEDINA" in company of the then premier of Northern Nigeria, the Saradauna of Sokoto, late sir Ahmadu Bello around 1963.

The significance of the central mosque is that it is used for congregational and Friday prayers at which Muslims gather to pray. That is why it is referred to as Massalachin Juma’a.

There are many other mosques all over the town in which Muslims performed their five daily prayers either due to proximity to their homes or for sect reasons.

There were, among the Muslims in Jos, followers of religious sects such as Tijjaniyya, Quadiriyya and Ahmadiyya which all seek to purify the Islamic religion in their own way.

Until recently, membership of the sects was known only to members and Tijjaniya seems to have more followers. Among the Chief Imams remembered are Liman-Mallam Haruna who is said to have been the Chief Imam since at Naraguta. Then Mallam Mustapha. No time has been precisely given to their periods of Imamship, but it is certain that the later was succeeded by Mallam Adamu whose period is said to have fallen between 1924 and 1950 when he died. Mallam Hamza is mentioned as his successor. It is not clear when he died too. He was, however succeeded by Mallam Bala Adamu. He died in 1976. Alhaji Abdu Na’ibi relieved him from 1976 - 1978 and was succeeded by the present Chief Imam Alhaji Saidu Hanajan. It was around 1950 Chief Imam seized to be paid by the local authority.

Imams are usually well learned and erudite Islamic Scholars who are well versed in Islamic Theology, jurisprudence, Hadith and the Holy Qur’an. An Imam was selected by special committee set up for the purpose among the biggest Muslim Ulama in Jos Town. The Imams also functioned as officiating clergy men during marriage and naming ceremonies.

Islamic education was presided in traditional Islamic Schools - Makaranta Allo, where children gathered and learned to write the Holy Qur’an in verses written in black tawada, on the wooden slates called Allo.

The lessons are usually graded by the Mallam who uses individualized from instruction to teach such schools numbered over five hundred (500) and are still developing.

There were also more advanced schools in Hadith and Jurisprudence are learned under the most prominent schools were those Mallam Abdu Alkalin Shendam, Mallam Alhaji Mai Jalalaini, Alkali Abubakar, Mallam Usman Narogo, Mallam Alin Takai and the most prominent Sheikh’ in Jos Sheikh Ibrahim Mushaddid", Mallam Abubakar Nashago. The Muslims also contributed to the provision of Western Education Institution in Jos. Due to the multiplicity of Christians Missionary primary Schools and the restricted admissions to Muslim children who would not attend such schools even if admitted, Muslims religions organization began to establish their own schools to cater for their own children, moreover schools built by the native authority were inadequate.

So, Muslim organization like Nurudeen, Ansal-ud-deen, Nawair-ud-deen, establish their own primary schools between 1940-50. While during the same period one of the Hausa scholars, Alhaji Ahmadu Arabi may his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. Amin; established Islamiyya Primary Schools. A secondary school was also established by the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, called the Sardauna Memorial College Jos in 1974 which was later taken over by the government. It is presently government Day Secondary school Jos. And now revert back to owner J.N. by our able governor Chief Joshua Chibi Dariye as Sardauna Memorial, College Jos.

Due to the deep root influence of either Christianity or the traditional African religion or both, few Plateau tribes were converted to "ISLAM". This might however not be unconnected with the 19th century raid on their settlements by the Emirs of Hausa states, which might have alienated them from the religion. Unfortunately, due to lack of records, these few that were converted are not known exactly.

THE SUDAN INTERIOR MISSION (S.I.M)

This was an international and interdenominational mission which established its headquarters in Jos.

TRADITIONAL AFRICAN RELIGION:

There were also followers of the traditional African religion whom plotmicor calls animinist; they make up 35% of the total population.28

These people neither profess Islam nor Christianity and refer to uphold their traditional beliefs even though they may publicly be Muslims or Christians. Among the Jassawa (Hausa), the Bori-cult was also in existence. there is however no known shrine of the Bori cults, except that it is common knowledge that many members of the community patronise the Bori or witchcraft as the case may be. It is however known each time; it is being practice as part of their ritual, which features a lot of drumming and dancing done in the open.

CHRISTIANITY AND CHRISTIAN MISSIONS:

There were by the 1950's three major Christians missions headquarters at Jos. They are the Sudan interior missions (S.I.M), Sudan united mission (S.U.M) and the Roman Catholic Mission several missions reflecting the variety of Christian affiliation among the population. So also were other Churches like Aladura, Cherubim and Seraphim and other Pentecostal Churches population. So also were other churches like the Jehovah's Witness and the Assemblies of God.

THE SUDAN UNITED MISSION (S.U.M)

This mission started on the Plateau around 1907 at gyel near Bukuru. Since then, the mission developed into a autonomous bodies by various European communities; so that they could spread the gospel in the whole of Northern Nigeria. The British-sponsored group was the one stationed on the Plateau while others spread to other area. However, probably due to the good climate conditions in Jos the general council meeting of whole Nigeria was held at Jos.

The National Church, which used come into being through the S.U.M., was an incorporated body known in Hausa as the Ekklesiyyar Kristi. A Sudan (E.KA.S) translated the fellowship of Christian churches in the Sudan. This comes to the largest protestant group in the whole of Northern Nigeria.

THE SUDAN INTERIOR MISSION (S.I.M)

This was an international and interdenominational mission which established its headquarters in Jos in 1923.

Though work in the Northern part of the country by this mission began as early as 1901 when its first mission was opened at Pategi (in Niger state) within a short time it had established several missions not only in Nigeria but also throughout West Africa. In northern Nigeria alone it used about 200 stations and Jos as its African Headquarters. This mission also concerned itself with medical work. By 1926, when Plateau province was created, Jos its capital, grew rapidly too, with it grew the catholic community in Jos which was hitherto only visited as an out station from Shendam. The present mission at Church Street was then built and in 1930 they established their first school.

A cathedral was built in 1932-33 and on the 8th April 1934 the prefecture apostolic church of Jos was established and had under it apart from Plateau, Bauchi, and parts of Borno, Benue, Zaria and Adamawa (then provinces) to take care of.

In April 1953 due to the increasing number of catholic adherents in Jos it was raised to the full status of a diocese with a full-fledged Bishop. There are at present 3 parishes; St. Theresa's St. Fatima's and another at Nassarawa Gwom.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION:

The Roman Catholic Mission came to the Plateau as a result of the 1906 commissioning of some catholic fathers from Asaba to establish a mission station somewhere in the area north of the Benue Rivers.

Consequently, In January 1917, in January three reverend fathers were dispatched from Assaba by paddle-steamer for Lokoja, where they hired canoes to take them up the River Benue. At Ibi, they met captain Burton, a colonial officers, who advised them to go to Shendam because, according to him the area was inhabited by 'pagans'.

Shendam was the first port of Roman Catholic evangelisation. It was from there catolism spread to other parts of Northern Nigeria, Plateau province in general and Jos in particular.

One of the three Reverened fathers from Asaba Monsignor Waller visited Naraguta, the then headquarters of Naraguta division in 1918. He was said to held mass and baptised some infants in a little mud church built by a handful of Christians (mainly Igbo) on the site of the present cathedral by Church spread the first Reverend sister that came to Jos in 1942 interested themselves in school work and later in maternity clinical work.



IMPACT OF CHRISTIAN MISSIONS:

The importance of the coming of the Christian missionaries to Jos cannot be overemphasized, in view of the impetus they had on the development of Jos.

It is an open secret for instance that apart from excelling themselves in spreading the Gospel, they contributed immensely in the provision of health facilities and educational institutions in Jos.

In the area of evangelism, it is necessary to mention that the missionaries were able to convert people to Christianity, even among the widely acclaimed Muslim (Jasawa) of the native town. Mention must be made here of the conversion,, in 1932, of one Hausa Muslim who was not only an important member for the community but also the president of the Muslim Alkali court in Jos at that time.29 The convert, Alkali Ibrahim had to forfeit his Job as a result of his conversion from Christianity to "Islam".

That is not to say, he was the only convert. A lot more could have been converted, but this was indeed significant consideration what he lost as a result. He was said to have preached Christianity among the (Jasawa). In the other fields the Christian missionaries were responsible for opening many educational institutions at both primary and secondary school levels. Worth mentioning here, is the effort of the R.C.M. which opened many institutions.

Educational activities by the R.C.M. included the convert primary school Jos which catered for the primary education for girls ;St Murumba College for Boys, and the major Seminary in Jos.

To the credit of the R.C.M. is also the establishment of our Lady of Apostle maternity Hospital which began in 1945 along church street and later moved to it present site in 1955. At the beginning, its staff were mainly German, who were helped by nurses and midwives graduated from its midwifery training school which started in 1957.

On the ticket of the S.I.M was the establishment of several institutions. Most notable was the establishment in 1959 Evangel Hospital (popularly known as Jankwano, named after the red zinc roofing of the Hospital) in addition to a dental clinic and medical auxiliaries training school.

There are other Christian missionary organisations, worthy of note, like the Anglican church which was mainly schools to its credit- St. Paul Jenta, St. Paul’s Township and St. Luke's primary school and St. John' College, so also is the Baptist church which has Baptist Primary school and Baptist high school. However, due to certain unavoidable limitations, these note worthy missions have not been fully discuses.



CHAPTER FIVE

TIN MINING AND THE GROWTH OF JOS

Tin mining is to Jos what Gold mining and its trade was to the ancient sundanese empire of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, many centuries ago. In the case of Jos, it is a well-known fact that Jos owes its existence to the discovery of tin and that it grew to cater for the interests of mining industry.

Tin mining like other well established industries such as the Sokoto leather-work or the Kano dyed-cloth industry, played an important part not only in the economy and the rise of Jos but also in the economy of the country as far back as the 16th century and perhaps much earlier.

Prior to the coming of the white men. Tin mining was practice only in the northern part of the Plateau around Bukuru, Ngell and Tilden-Fulain. The tin then mined from alluvial and code deposits and smelted by traditional method, had its ore brought by traders to Ririwen Kano and Ririwen Delma,30 which were important contents for smelting tin to straw Tin bars.

It is on record 31 that in the 120's Clapperton saw crude anti-money of tin, from the Plateau at the Kano market.

According to professor Sanya Onabamiro,32 towards the end of the last century, traders of the Royal Niger Company were puzzled by articles of barter (Straw tin) used by the people living in Plateau to obtain cloths and other trade materials from European merchants. The reason for their puzzle according to professor Onabamiro was because they had found that the metal was not important into the north from the Sahara as they formerly supposed. yet they could not obtain any information as to how the tin was smelted

By the 1830's attempts to find the actual source of tin started. But it was not until 1902 the first sample of tin ore sent to England by Sir Williams Wallace (then activity high commissioner) had been examined by the imperial institute;33 where over 80% of tin dioxide equal to about 64% of metallic tin, and Jos Plateau was proved to be its source.

After the pacification of the north and the proclamation of the Northern protectorate by the British Officers attached to the Royal Niger Company decided to make serious and practical attempts to solve the puzzle of the actual source of tin.

Reminiscent of the African Associations expeditions to solve the river Niger puzzle, the Royal Niger Company employed colonel Nicolaus to undertake and expedition to solve the problem.

It is worth of note that the importance of tin of the British at that point in time could not be over stated considering the industrial development in Britain, and the use to which Tin could be used in the British industrial economy. Tin is soft and is relay used on its own. Its chief use is in a no toxic coating in Tin Plate for cans. Its is also used in many alloys like solder for bronze and to produce tin chemicals. It can also be combined with many metals to improve their performance.

THE TIN EXPEDITIONS:

The first Tin expedition was that of Gorge Nocolaus in 1902. In this expedition, Nocolaus reached Badiko, near Bauchi, where casseterite or tin ore was sold. And it was from there, that Hausa traders took the tin ore to Ririwen Kano for smelting. From here, he learnt that tin was mined at Tilden-Fulani, in the part of the Plateau where no white had yet set his foot. The exploiter was able to journey as far as to the Naraguta hills where he saw that the Dilimi River was indeed rich in Tin ore- 'Kua'.

It is significant to note that this expedition had formed to be success, in that the source or at least the actual area where the Tin ore is mined had at least been unknown to them. This explains the seriousness and greater vigour with which subsequent expeditions were undertaken.

In spite of the stiff resistance to European penetration into the Plateau in the following year (1903) a month expedition was organised under colonel H.S laws.

In this expedition colonel laws, also a mining engineer, was accompanied by 600 carriers bringing mining and prospecting equipment, food supply and medical supply for one year34 and other mining equipments. The expedition was also accompanied by a detachment of twenty-five soldiers (Hausa and Yoruba) of the Royal Niger west African frontier force (W.A.F.F.)

Colonel laws approached the Plateau from the North and on arrival from Bauchi set up his main camp at place, which became the Naraguta mine now abandoned.

While he made Naraguta his permanent mining camp with two of his European assistant he reached Jagindi towards the end of October 1903. From there a tour was made to Tilden-Fulani, which became his prospecting base. One Christmas Eve 1903 he reached the neibourhood of Bukuru, where he spent that years Christmas. Within a few year he had established a prosperous operation, exploiting about 129 tons of castrate in 1907 and 25 tons of smelted Tin.

Earlier in 1094, he was joined by another white assistant R.A. Arch hold, with whom he was able to concentrate on his mining activities. They surveyed the course of Dilimi River from its source to Naraguta, plotted their mining lease and were soon extracting Tin and Smelting it using their own equipments. The first beacon to mark the area which was inscribed "HWLSWCRAA 1904" is now preserved as a national monument.35 The Hausa traders who came to take part on the mining expedition settled in what came to be known as Jos.

Despite the activity and success of colonel laws in subduing the local people with the West African frontier, development of Tin Mining by foreign interest grew slowly and until 1909 they were the only operating company.

At first due to lack of roads and other modern infra-structural facilities, after the Tin ore was ruined and smelted into straw tin, it was transported to Loko on the river Benue by head portage.

The journey began from a point36 outside the present Nigeria Airways office, from where a congregation of porters met before proceeding on foot and donkeys to Loko.

From Loko the tin was loaded into barges and taken to Facades for transhipment a total of thirty-five days, to coast. This tin was valued #29:10 per ton.

The porters on the other hand were paid a pence a day for the 200- mile journey.

Although the Niger Company was extracting Tin by 1904, the main expansion of activity did

edoyad:

Wow trenchcoat ! I'm humbled by your kindness towards christians in the middle belt. Other people would have filled their companies almajiris from the streets of kano. Could you please tell us the name of your company so we can support it in It's growth in order for nice, detribalised people like you become well known role models ?

lol,I don't need ur commendation, I do my things humanly I don't need ur help, ALLAH is alwayz there 4 me. An Almajiri employing Christians is that not something to write home about?

@ babylishus

Ticking me on or off doesnt move me an inch, so either ways sooth urself, I am impressed by some of ur comments why should I throw barbs on u? It makes no sense to me cos I am here to debate not argue like I earlier said.

Nice to see that I made you smile, even if it is in annoyance. Meaning, ?

My company is located in Kano and Abuja, I have employed alot of Christians from Plateau state, I only go to Jos sometimes for weekend my profit is made in these other states, I only go to spend it in Jos so it is an added advantage to ur people, this is to still show u I do not have any hate to ur people rather they benefit from me.  

babylishus:

Oh and Trenchie, what I meant by I hope you have as much zeal on the battlefield as you seem to have on the net (which BTW, is an 'infidel' creation FYI) is this:

You seem to have a lot of hatred towards Plateau Christians (of which I am one) and that translates to your zeal, or energy on the net (the internet, of which the forum Nairaland is a part of). You are using nairaland as a battlefield and so I believe that if you have to physically fight then you have the same energy to fight as you do to argue on the internet.

BTW means By the way - the internet is a creation of Americans, who to many Muslims represent the 'infidels' and so therefore this very same internet you are using (as well as the laptop or computer you are typing on, are the very creation and intellectual property of those very same infidels.

FYI means For your Information.

No disrespect intended, Dude, to you or anyone but really, man, a forum is meant to be a congregation of minds and thoughts, not derogatory (and grammatically incorrect) spewings! THAT goes for ALL of y'all throwing isults about!

You seem to have a lot of hatred towards Plateau Christians (of which I am one)

I believe this is an assumption cos presently I have alot of Christian workers in my company, so u guessed wrong. If I do have hatred I would have sent them packing but what have they done to deserve such treatment? I have been in Jos for more than 45 years and I presently I have Christian workers, in every society there is always a bad egg, Go through the post n see wat made me to react.
You keep on inserting indirect insults in some of ur comments, I smile cos some of ur words r not biased but at the same time u chip in some, baby no one here is a kid ok?

BTW means By the way - the internet is a creation of Americans, who to many Muslims represent the 'infidels' and so therefore this very same internet you are using (as well as the laptop or computer you are typing on, are the very creation and intellectual property of those very same infidels.


Get to know more about books of inventions and other books found in Spain and other Muslim places, I thought u were well learned enough you wouldnt have said so, go back to history and get more facts, I cannot argue with u except if ur fellow Christian frendz wants to debauch u with sentiments on taking sides. I am only debating. Young-bearing I will stop punching my keyboard if u want us to argue. Kinji ko?

@ babylishus

I hope you have as much zeal in the battlefield as you seem to have on the net (which BTW is an 'infidel' creation, FYI).

I dont get wat u mean.

Historically, the Hausa were slaves, or 'bawa', to the Fulanis and with time they merged the two together for their own reasons.

Certainly not true. We say we are Hausa-Fulani because of the inter-marriage we have. Where does the word "Sarki" comes from?


And FYI, Arabs are not too keen on blacks. They can tolerate you to fight their wars and clean their homes, try marrying one of them, especially their women, and see how much 'brotherhood' they show to you. Don't believe me? Go to Kano and ask how many Arabs pray alongside Nigerians in the public mosques. Most of them have their own private ones, in their cushy private GRAS, which they share with their non-Muslim Arabs.)

This I do not agree with u.

HE told me (as he's not Nigerian) that in his place people read the Q'uran themselves (the translated version) and study it without having anyone impose their view. He said he doesn't quite understand many Nigerian Muslims and their ability to just swallow whats being said without double checking.

You see the Holy Qur'an is not an ordinary book that u will learn and comprehend, even though u read u need to be taught that is the essence of a transliteration. You need to be guided.

I like some of ur points of debate.  

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/01/201012333947758520.html

If u have watched the above video, I ought not to continue arguing with Y'all.

@ wirelessfalcon
I am an Almajiri 4 life. You r daft, misguided and brainwashed its gonna be hard for u to understand. Cant waste my time in exchanging words with a mad dog. I know u have watchedHeartless

@ comechop

comechop:

@trenchcoat:
Dude, seriously you need to learn how to spell, write well, and COMMUNICATE. If it is this hard on a forum, how is it in real life? Are you so blinded by hate that it affects your communication and comprehension?
And btw, what the hell is this even supposed to mean??

"Mushen Alade. Dan mattacen jaki. ( Dead pig son of a rotten donkey)"

Is that supposed to be an insult?? What the hell?? Keep on bringing disrepute to your almajari and muslims and hause fulanis. You're doing an excellent job of that with your worthless, thoughtless and incoherent replies.

Mr. Oxford dick or should I say Longmans dick, I am not here for an english class, I have communicated and I am still communicating, wat is hard? I am very ok with wat I have I guess poverty is running down ur veins causing u to have myopic reasoning, the way u speaks emitts nothing but hate, and clearly u r a hungry man by the way ur username says. "Mushen Alade. Dan mattacen jaki. ( Dead pig son of a rotten donkey)" I wrote this to those who can read and know what I mean.

To u is thoughtless and I do not need a commendation from u. Chop belle full first, an Almajiri is far better than u.


@ darqly

@trenchcoat,i resisted from insulting your person amma na gane ba ka da hankali,dantasha kawai. No wat does that suppose to mean? Kayi wanka ka shafa kashi? Mahaukaci dan bola.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/01/201012333947758520.html


If u can watch this video u will see some of the heinous crime these so-called Berom or so-called heartless Christians did? Killing women and children, this is really sad, the Lord will purnish all those that contributed.

@ darqly,  udennaa, samcc30, Mr. Cartha

I cannot argue with u buffoons, there is an adage which goes like this " do not argue with a fool cos people might not know the difference".

You pigs are already blocked with envy, hatred and poverty since you cannot comprehend then allow some of ur fellow jackass leaders to keep on controlling you like remote controls.

@ darqly

U say u're ex-almajiri ko? Na daga maka hannu. Dole don ubanka da daga min hannu, dole ne akira mijin iya baba, shege dan karya. Ahaka zaka kare nagaba yayi gaba.


@ udennaa
who are d men of understanding u ar writing to? Thank u for showing the whole people u r a cascaded lunatic with trunckated brain pointing towards psychosis.

it would have been a good news to me if u were killed in d crises. Sadly its a bad news to u that I am here wasting my time with an undesirable unfocused blocked asshole.  U r a coward thats for sure.

plateau is a xtian state Says who? Laughing guy stop day dreaming. Abi should I say gay stop the imagination.

we dont need your nonsense explanation. To u its nonesense thats why I said to men of understaning, good for again carving urself out.  Thank u Mr. nonsense.  

iv always known u are an idiot n notting but a heartless jihadists.ewu awusa When did u know me? By ur utterances u r still again contradicting urselves. Mushen Alade. Dan mattacen jaki. ( Dead pig son of a rotten donkey). Ewu mumu!

@ samcc30

I do respect Prophet Isa (Peace be with him)  whom u call Jesus and will never insult him, but if I can see u physically I will kill u myself for insulting the Holy Prophet (S.A.W), theres no doubt about that.

my question is that can u fight for GOD or do the GOD ask 4 your help to fight for him hmmm, "my question is that, " oh r u trying to directly translate this from ur language to english? You dont know what to ask cos nobody said he is fighting for God. So ur question is baseless. U r a confused bastard picked from the toilet slums of ajegunle. Rinsed from the urine of a filthy swine.

@ babylishus
I was in boys scout as well, I can see we have some things in common, hey I will reply to u much later.

darqly:

@trenchcoat et al your umma- Lets call a spade a spade. Islam makes you crave for blood and in a cowardly way as well. If you want a fair and square fight, why not announce your intentions? Instead you people stockpile ammo in your mosques(houses of worship) and call for sallah and to emerge armed and start killing innocents.
I've never seen a greater and sadder lot of cowards. I can't fathom how I can even sleep if i slit someone's throat, let alone scores, including women and CHILDREN. NO, no god can sanction this, no religion, just pure evil!

I was and raised in Jos, its the only home I've ever known, but you people kill, steal and destroy because you have NOTHING. U want everyone to be BACKWARD like you. And don't gimme that crappy hausa-fulani line, I'm sure i'm more HAUSA than you, but the difference is I went to school and I have Christ.

Can you people actually be human to even speak out that you acted in self defense? They called for prayers around 12 midnite in Bukuru and came out of their mosques with petrol bombs and knives.
My way of life tells me to love, and to forgive, and to turn the other cheek even, BUT I don't have a spare head in case I'm beheaded by a no-good, worthless Almajiri.

I don't give alms to those pricks because I understand that they are the foot-soldiers in these slaughters. Christians WILL never enter and church and emerge armed to kill others- BUT i foresee that enough is enough. We have to organize a militia of sorts, a military wing, because the government will setup panel after panel and muslims will go on progrom after progrom. JNI trains some of its followers in the art of warfare, did you know that?

A religion of peace? More like a piece of my flesh. The gates of hell will not always prevail and there is a time and a season to every purpose under the sun. We will soon stop embracing.

I am 100% Almajiri and I am proud of that, I am proud of being a Muslim that u can never stop me from believing in.U have ur religion and I have mine, if u do not respect my religion I respect urs,besides I dont know if u have any but that doesnt give u the audacity to talk trash.U claim to be more Hausa than me, hmmm,u r an educated illiterate, if u believe in Christ u will not be here fermenting trouble and to even say ur people have more than the Hausa-Fulani.U r a coward to even say we kill women and children,u r nothing but a great liar and a fool only coming online to ferment  trouble.

Just of recent with the inception of jang as a governor did u hear his utterances? U ought to have known what the stupid jang said, common sense demands some evidence except if u r sentimental.

What u need to ask urself is what is ur profit in killing people? U go to the extent of killing women and children for what? Heartless people, go and ask the mercenaries jang brought how much were they paid? Nothing just burkutu n risking their lives for such a fool.

D bastard jang claimed he was going to kill all Muslims in Jos simply because IBB retired him,was he the only one that was retired wat about the numbers of Muslims they retired together with? Wat about the favours he gained to reach that rank, the way u speak shows ur brain is still thinking of lust and luxury and covered with cloud of envy and jealousy. The more u kill the more we replicate, u cannot stop us.

Ask the bon gwaom berom wat happened when he was nearly sacked? He got favours from the Almajiris in Sokoto, u dont know all these u think u r bold coming to talk all craps around.

The event in Bukuru was totally faked by u, ur group came to ambush the Muslims what do u expect to sit down so that u kill them?

Quit ur bitch ass big headed brainless talks and jump to reality cos the way u speak shows as if u from another planet.

Is this what u call achievement? jang was an administrator for both Benue and the then Gongola state now known as Adamawa,I guess u were not born by then, check from history or ask ur learned parents if they are to tell u wat happened when he was an administrator of the state, this jang is a devils advocate everywhere he heads there is always crisis.
You have failed go and check the track of ur governor, as far as we concern we do not recognize him as a governor of some Beroms not even all.
You r naive to know what is happening within yet u claim jos as ur home. You do not know anything yet.

Ask ur people, I am not writing this to ask for a plea.I am writing this to men n women of understanding.

babylishus:

Woah trenchcoat, easy there, Dude!

And Mr Onitsha: really there is no need for reprisal attacks in Onitsha, those people have nothing to do with what goes on in Jos.

Trenchcoat, tsk, tsk, where do I begin? First of all, I need to tell you to relax. I can fairly feel the rage from you, spewing out in waves (if the typos have anything to do with that, I sincerely hope they do). If you don't calm down you might have an anuerysm and I doubt you would be of any use to yourself if you pop a blood vessel in your head and end up a vegetable! Harness your energy for something more useful, maybe doing something to further this nation instead of inciting hatred?

Look y'all, and I mean ALL OF YOU- Christians and Muslim alike: lemme ask you something,

if you succeed in killing off one side (be it the Christian or Muslim) what would be left? Its easy to say 'Let's kill em all!' Cool!, But then, there's a minor, teensy-weensy problem, in the process of your, ahem, ethno-religious cleansing we'll end up killing off our doctors, architects, engineers, builders, electricians, plumbers, bankers, teachers and all those who make the country work! Yep, that's what you'll end up doing.

So, when the dust settles you'll have a bunch of victorious brigands (be they Muslim or Christian)! All that will be left are the 'warriors', the fighters and brutes, and then where would we go from there. I'll tell you what would happen- they will swiftly turn on one another and in the end we would become such a nuisance to the entire African continent with our constant bloodshed and crime that the USA would do the rest of Africa a favour and nuke us out of existence!!  :oDon't believe me? Don't think this is how we could end up? Please take a good look at Afghanistan. They have the Taliban- hurray for them, and no development, healthcare or education. People, they are driving donkey drawn carts, for goodness sake!!! Is that how we want to end up?

Please, when making arguments, let's try and use logic and far reaching thought rather than sentiment. Trenchie, I totally get your, ahem, angst, really I do but please take a chill pill. I get your 'Horray for Islam, we are the greatest, we will defeat you infidels and there's nothing you can do about it so na-na-na-na' rhetoric, truly I do. But remember that out of the almost 7 billion people on the planet, not all are Muslims. We have people who worship idols, cows and trees! We have atheists, Chrisitians, Buddhists, Hindus, Confucionists, Wiccans, heck we got people who worhip Satan!!!! Each to his/her own, Dude, and the rest is between you and your maker!

So people, take a deep breath and think, if that doesn't work then perhaps half a tab of Valium?

Ok babylishus, chill pill taken hahaha, but point of correction u said and I quote "I get your 'Horray for Islam, we are the greatest, we will defeat you infidels and there's nothing you can do about it so na-na-na-na' rhetoric, truly I do." I never said or meant that and thats not what Islam is all about, but we have to defend if we are been attacked.

Let me take my deep breath.

anobscase:

There has never been a time that we Christians in the East started killing Muslims in our area.The last time it happened in Kaduna, My close friend lost 3 or His brothers. We knew him a quiet person that can never hurt someone, but that day i knew that there is always a Beast inside every Human Being. He slaughtered 12 Hausa Muslims.
I do not blame him because i Understood the way he felt.People will not understand it now until your immediate family is attacked.

Right from the Day of John De Baptist,, The Kingdom of God Suffereth Violent and the Violent shall take it by Force.

Now what has he gained in doing that? Nightmares will continue to befall on him until he dies cos they were innocent, the main reason of all the crisis is political, envy and lack of employment.

anobscase:

I pity any Hausa Muslim that comes near Onitsha again. We killed most of them in my area.
I am boiling in anger

Hmm hatred,u killed them just to loot.

edoyad:

So you think so ?

Reda the following:





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The people who control Nigeria's oil economy are who ?

President
Min. of Finance
NNPC MD
CBN Gov

A beast calling human beings animal,d way u sound preaches nothing but hatred and tribalism,u keep instigating. You are a coward!

kmzee:

XFACTOR
Samcc30
I strongly share your concern and pains. Those bad muslims will never stop terrorising peace lovin pple on the Plateau. Jos Xtians and non-hausa fulani should next time STRIKE first, becos security operatives are use to shield those uncivilized muslims after creating havoc.

sexfactor this is a cover up every knowledgeable and learned person knows the aims of the pig minded gov jang, u all planned it thinking u can wipe the Muslims in Plateau, u keep talking of Hausa-Fulani why do u kill the Yoruba,Ebira,Igbo and other Muslims, even the Berom Muslims are killed, this goes to show how wicked and heartless some of the so-called Christians can be, u always attack the Muslims unaware but the good Lord is always on our side. If u think u can make Jos a Christian state then u r only wasting time, but mind u and u r warned if u keep on pushing us to the wall the repercussion will be extremely bad.

If u say Hausa-Fulani why do u have to kill a Berom Muslim is he not an indigene  why do u have to kill him? I know most of u do not even go to Church thats why u have all the hate and envy, forever a Muslim is ahead of u and u will never will or succeed, we will never leave Jos we will fight to the last drop of our blood if we are attacked.

jang is an arrogant bastard that will soon see hell even from here before he dies, he is using u fools that r brainless to fight for his cause, cant u she how he is marginalizing the other tribes?He uses u as puppet of distraction only to achieve his selfish interest, tell me why is he staying and developing Du and not other places, he keeps using u bunch of fools and hides under the umbrella of Christianity.

Why should jang bring the brother of buba gyang to be the chairman of jos north is he from that local government why wont he give it to the Afizere, Miango or other people from that locality?And what has a Hausa-Fulani man blocked that u need to eradicate him from Jos? The Hausa-Fulani ruled in Jos with 13 Emirs b4 Rwang Pam,Fom Bot and Victor Pam u keep saying things u dont know cos u r mentally derailed and used. Scraps of rusted robots.What a waste.

@kpofkpof (f)
I am really amazed with ur dead lies, u r the type of bicthes that forment more trouble, no wonder u have aids.U think u can spread aids here?


@Idtobson
Yet another jackass

Almajiri face, if you like you can register your father's 4th wife's maiden name as your your new username, i will decode your ignorance through your illiteracy.
What is southern zaria in the first place ? Did your imam give you that term while he was farting in your "Face" whilst you were praying to your magic black box in mecca ?
If you have not been to kaduna to know that across the bridge means then i urge you to find any christian from any part of Nigeria who resides in kaduna to educate you.

jackass

Edoyad

Almajiri face, if you like you can register your father's 4th wife's maiden name as your your new username, i will decode your ignorance through your illiteracy.
What is southern zaria in the first place ? Did your imam give you that term while he was farting in your "Face" whilst you were praying to your magic black box in mecca ?
If you have not been to kaduna to know that across the bridge means then i urge you to find any christian from any part of Nigeria who resides in kaduna to educate you.

hmmmm wat a jack ass

treachcoat or what do u call urself, why are u siding this muslims thing? i guess u are a muslim and u are happy abt the way your so called Muslim brothers are setting fire on christian people, have u ever seen a christian setting a Muslim person or areas ablaze?, Ever since i was born, i have never heard of christian setting muslims ablze or fighting Muslims but other wise, is ISLAM truly a RELIGION OF PEACE?, answer me, i am sorry for u, becos that fight does not reach u, that is why u were siding them, may be in this fighting, it u that will be set ablaze or any of your family members, then u will know what is called to loose ones mother. father, sister, brother, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts etc, through a religious crisis. wa yo person

Lol, I can see u r character blind in d first instance,since u cannot even read what I've typed.I am a Muslim and very proud of it. During the 2001 crisis I have seen where alot of your so called Christians set ablaze alot of Muslims so if u dont know now u know. Be sorry for urself cos by the way u sound ur motive is to set people ablaze, be careful for wat u wish someone cos it might bounce back on u.

naijaking1:

Killing of Christians and non-muslims by muslims must stop. Dialogue for peace?, go ask the Sarkin Gombe what happened to him when Othman dan Fodio came to dialogue for peace.
Am sorry, but dialoguing for peace is not a language Islamic radicals understand.

I can see u r just a trouble maker.

OgidiBoy:

That's sad, I hope you and your family didn't get affected. What happened to the Jos we all used to know and love. Nasarawa Gwom even though is a slum used to be so diverse. That was the last place you would expect this kind of trouble.

my family r safe, thanks for the concern, its indeed really sad.The place I stay is mixed with both Muslims and Christians, the main problems with the crisis as I see are nothing but lack of employment, illiteracy and poverty. If u have something doing u will not have time to fight, they say an idle mind is d devils workshop.Why is the crisis not erupting in other state,on d other hand its all about politics.Its really unfortunate .We pray the Lord help us.Amen.

naijaking1:

Are you talking about settling things when muslims insist on taking it all.
Until those docile and lazy Christians in Plateau(natives, Igbos and Yorubas) rise up jointly against continuos and repeated islamic fundamentalist attacks, they too will soon become history.
Historically, the Fulani removed the muslim Hausa kings by much the same method as what's going on today----pretending to practice purer form of Islam, then we have repeated muslim attacks on christians all through the 1960s, the massacre of southern christians under the pretext of fighting Igbos, then the pattern continued through out the 1970s, 80, 90, and now you're talking about amicably ironing things out

Now wat r u trying to insinuate?The killings shud continue or dialogue for peace?

luvola:

@ trencoat - who started attacking first ? isn't not d muslim youth ?

R u asking a question or asking and answering it? Well if it is a question the Christians attacked first by not allowing the man to rebuild his house,and the Muslim youths retaliated.That was how it all began.