Every crime has a beginning and definitely an end. With tenacity of purpose, every crime can be defeated, kidnnapping, insurgency, banditry and terrorism inclusive. A look at history of crisis in plateau state reveals that the Berom tribe, among the three early pagans that form a place now known as Jos town has a place ( river)where they worship their dieties ( shrine practice) named GOSH.The other two tribes are said to be Afizere And Anaguta. The advent of the of the colonial masters brought about the name Jos from GOSH, a similarity in pronouncement by the white colonialist.between the year 1900-1902, A British Engr.Col. Low was said to have first discovered large deposite of TIN in ANAGUTA area of Jos, it’s attendant mining of the Tin brought about influx of foreigners from various part of Nigeria to Jos as labour forces. Record revealed he shipped in about 600 labourers from Sokoto, Kaduna, Kano, Bauchi n Maiduguri respectively to facilitate his new round Tin mining. Between 1913- 1918, the British colonial administration had been established, the population of the Tin mining areas now has expanded and there was a need to establish towns and quarters,as early as the year 1914, The Hausa community began the scheme to appoint an emir in Jos even though the pagan indigenous tribes of Berom, Anaguta And Afizere had their traditional pagan leadership heads. However, the colonial administration deeply rooted on ground, having studied the traditional perspective of the three pagan tribes, insist no such request shall be accepted and made it clear in written letters to the Governor -General then, that the Hausa migrants should only appoint a leader as WAKILI HAUSA, WAKILI IBO AND WAKILI YORUBA, these wakilis were to oversee the affairs of their respective communities who are artisan labourers in mining areas only and leave the traditional stool of the CHIEF of Jos to the indigenous pagan, Sensing what the future would hold, the colonial administration documented all these decision in writing, these brief trajectory historical documents are available at both the Colonial and National Archive.
However in 1990 , a group of the HAUSA caliphate resident in Jos, came up with an association code named Jasawa Development Association. it was used as a vehicle insisting that Joas Township belong to them ( the HAUSA) and that they MOST appoint an Emir for Jos Town, feigning that the Traditional stool holder Gom Gbong of Jos, a Berom tribe should be moved to BUKURU etc. this negates the total idea conceived by the colonialist, this agitation sparked of violence. What follows was unprecedented killings, restiveness, bickering, etc . In 1991 Gen. Ibrahim Babagida in his toga as the head of Nigeria’s military dictator , created Jos North LGA. While Col. Mana was the Military Administrator of Plateau state, he appointed a Muslim who is not an indegine of Jos as the Chairman of Jos North LGA, he appointed Alh. Sanusi Mato. With the appointment of a Muslim to chair the LG, it was seen purely a Muslim agenda to take over Jos township,this fuel serious crises in Jos leading to loss of innocent lives . At the wake of the Jos crises, some group of elites from the indigenous tribe formed an association ( PIDAN ) and they traversed wide and brainstorm various libraries, conduct severe search in the colonial and National Archives and we’re able to come up with a standard and indisputable history documents of Jos left behind by the Colonial masters, published it in a book (the History, Ownership and Establishment of Jos) circulated it widely and freely. The well meaning citizens of Hausa tribe both Muslim and Christians alike read it and got the facts and truth on the creation of Jos, this helped to douse down tension and restore peace within Jos township. Meanwhile, the crises of Yelwa Shendam had it’s own genesis. When President Obasanjo visited Jos at the behave of Yelwa Shendam episode, during a stake holders meeting with him. Rev. Pam merely asked him a question “Why Did Government Watch While Christians Are Being Killed” President asked who did you say you are! He responded, Rev. Pam. Chairman CAN Northern zone. President retorted. CAN my foot. This comment by the president was in the glaring ears and eyes of the world press, muslims and others players to the crises, it was seen as a support to the Muslims by government. This fueled further killings in Jos and it’s environs, this further advanced the crises of 2000, 2001 till date. The Hausa tribes in Jos who had blindly wagd war against the indigenous tribes in a bid to claim ownership of Jos saw the truth and embrace peace.There is peaceful co-existence between the Hausa as a tribe in Jos and her brothers and sisters who are the indegines of BEROM, AFIZERE, ANAGUTA and other Nigerian tribes in Jos engaged in various business in Jos.
The Dimension Of The At the wake of the JOS crises, the Hausa and the Fulani, for religious inclination, had teamed up to fight the cause of Jos together. Today, all the Hausa as a tribe in Jos are more educated and enlightened, they have shelve their swords,and allowed peace to thrive , but suddenly, the Fulanis who have lived peacefully with the peasant farmers over the years took over the fight with the indegines farmers and held on unabated.
Peace is as important as wealth. Initially, the war was between the indigenous tribes and the Hausa/Fulani who teamed for their religious inclination to fight the indegines who are farmers, now that the Hausa has seen and known the truth, has abstained and sought for and promoted peace in jos. But the Fulani are still fighting the indegines violently with a clear intention to confiscate the farms/land owned by the indegines. They are not relenting or making any mistake of their mission. Fulani herders have dominated Gashish, Mangu, Bokos and Miyango areaS of Bassa LGA of plateau state. These areas are arable farming lands, very nourishing and fertile. No wonder, most of the killings by the Fulani these days are from these areas. They have sworn to take over these lands as their inheritance. They have concentrated large chunk of armed mercenaries in these areas to help them wage war and forcefully take possession of farm/land from indegines for grazing .