Nigeria: Muslim and Christian riots in Jos, Plateau state, in December 2001 and January 2002

Reports of violence between Muslims and Christians in Vwang district of Jos, Plateau state, between late December 2001 and early January 2002 were found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate (This Day 1 Jan. 2002; AP 2 Jan. 2002; IRIN 4 Jan. 2002; ICC 4 Oct. 2002).

The Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) weekly round-up covering the period of 29 December 2001 to 4 January 2002 provided the following summary of the violence that occurred:

An armed attack by a militia group, during which 17 people died and several others were wounded, led this week to the displacement of some 3,000 residents of a village near Jos, capital of central Nigeria's Plateau State, state police told IRIN on Wednesday. The assailants are believed to be Muslim Hausa-Fulani who attacked Dagwom Turu village, Vwang district, in retaliation for casualties suffered by Muslims during violent confrontations with local Christians in September 2001, Governor Joshua Dariye said. Those displaced were reported to be mainly Hausa-Fulanis who fled to Jos fearing reprisals for the attack (4 Jan. 2002).

Corroborating the above information, Associated Press (AP) reported on 2 January 2002 that "semi-nomadic Fulani and Hausa herdsmen launched the attack Sunday against the predominantly-Berom village of Turu, about 30 miles south of the northern Nigerian city of Jos." The report further noted that police spokesman Ali Yusuf "speculated the attack may have been in reprisal for the killings of Muslim Fulanis and Hausas by mainly Christian Beroms during inter-religious fighting that left hundreds killed in Jos last September" (AP 2 Jan. 2002).

According to a statement by the secretary of Plateau State Government, Mr. Ezekiel Gomos, government soldiers followed the armed attackers of the village into the Vom hills and "gunned down" eight of them (This Day 1 Jan. 2002). The government warned that a security operations task-force including the army, the airforce and the police that was established to avoid an escalation of violence in the state would be used to "deal decisively with any persons or group bent on disrupting the peace of the state" (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Associated Press (AP). 2 January 2002. "20 Killed in Attack by Nigeria Herdsmen." (The Deseret News/NEXIS)

Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN). 4 January 2002. "Nigeria: 3,000 Flee to Jos Following Militia Attack." [Accessed 20 Nov. 2002]

International Christian Concern (ICC). 4 October 2002. "Nigeria – Christian Persecution in Nigeria." [Accessed 20 Nov. 2002]

This Day. 1 January 2002. "Nigeria; 13 Killed in Fresh Jos Violence." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Additional Sources Consulted

Africa Confidential

Africa Research Bulletin

IRB Databases

NEXIS

Internet sites, including:

AllAfrica.com

Amnesty International (AI)

BBC Africa

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

New Nigerian

Newswatch Nigeria

Nigeria Daily

U.S. Department of State

Vanguard

World News Connection (WNC)

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