Angwa Rukaba didnt see the blood- chilling mayhem that befell it coming. It was a normal Saturday evening, the eve of Palm Sunday, an activity popular among orthodox churches signalling the commencement of Passion or Holy Week prelude to the Christian festival of Easter.The ambience was boisterous and Angwa Rukuba residents- boys and girls, men and women, young and old- were in the world of their own enjoying the serenity and beauty of their hilly community and the bustling of their local market, oblivious of the grim fate that laid in wait. And then came Sunday- Palm Sunday. While the rest of the Christendom was observing the ritual of Palm Sunday, Angwa Rukuba, a predominantly Christian community, was writhing in pains and horror as blood- thirsty terrorists invaded and left in their trail deaths, destruction and anguish.
Agwan Rukuba junction is a stone throw from Tina junction and not too far from the popular University of Jos off camp student residential quarters known as ODUS. It was at that junction that the terrorists chose to make their command and control post as they stormed the community in a convoy of motorcycles, fully armed.As soon as they took up positions within the vicinity of the junction, they opened fire sporadically on unsuspecting, unarmed innocent residents. By the time the marauding terrorists were done with their killing spree, about 40 people laid death- massacred in cold blood- while many others sustained various degrees of injuries and currently receiving treatment.
Root cause of incessant killings in Jos
To understand why Jos has become the theatre of genocidal killings and internecine ethno-religious strife, it is imperative I delve into history of the crises for readers to appreciate and draw conclusions themselves. I have read varied views of security experts, opinion moulders,political analysts and even ethno- religious irredentists. some attributted the perennial Jos crises to politics. They insist the incessant killings are politically motivated. But is it so? We will find out later.
Notedly, Plateau state was created in early 1976 by the government of then military Head of State, General Murtala Muhammed. It was carved out from the defunct Benue-Plateau state which was created in 1967 by the Military junta of General Yakubu Gowon. Geographycally, Plateau is located in Nigeria’s central or middle Belt region. Plateau’s mordern history and the tap root of its internecine crisis are traceable to1907 when the colonial adminstration discovered large deposit of tin in Jos.There was no law guiding mining activities then, so the discovery engineered the influx of labourers from other parts of colonial Nigeria into the mining fields of jos. History has it that the Hausa migrants labourers from far north especially, Kano and Sokoto soon began scheming for the appointionment of an Hausa man as the monarch of Jos and his elevation to an Emir status. However, the colonial authorities objected to their request. A case was made to the colonial adminstration for the then Governor- General to appoint only a representative of the Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba communities who were labourers to oversees the affairs of their respective migrant communities, and that the traditional rulership of Jos should be left for the indigenous tribes. This was to pave the way for a Berom to emerge the monarch of Jos known as the Gbong Gwom Jos. Appointment of the paramount ruler helped to put the Hausa agitation to rest.A colonial document in the national archive dated December 2, 1955 speaks to this.
Note that in the beginning of 19th centuries, Muslim jihadists made spirited attempts to infiltrate Jos but were severely dealt with by the combine forces of the Jos indigeneous tribes of Amo, Afizere,Berom, Anaguta and Buji. And so the Jihadists failed in their drive to conquare Jos and install an Emir. Beyond this, Jos nay Plateau state has always been a hospitable place where people from diverse backgrounds co-habit peacefuly, reason its motto is: Home of Peace and Tourism.
Formation of Jasawa Development Association
The Jihadists and Hausa agitators for an Emirate and Emir in Jos did not abandon their quest hence between 1987-1990, the Hausa Community in Jos came up with an association it called Jasawa. Jasawa was allegedly part of the effort to take control of Jos township and install an Emir. Jasawa became a restive vanguard for the Hausa expansionist scheme and was stridently clamouring for the recognition of the Jos Hausa community as one of the indigenous tribes who own Jos township. The group went hay-wire, desperately demanding for the stool of the Gbong Gwom Jos. This was followed by the creation of Jos North Local Government by the General Ibrahim Babanginda administration in 1991. The plot to carve out an enclave within Jos for the Hausa community is believed to be one of the reasons Babangida created Jos North Local Government Area given that all areas inhabited by the Hausa community are in the new Local government area, effectively confining the indigineous tribes to Jos South Local Government Area. Further proof that Babangida was out to cede part of Jos to the Hausa, many insist, was the appointment of an Hausa man from Kano state as the chairman of the new localgovernment area. The indigenous tribes saw this appointment as an affront and therefore rejected it, thus seriouAngwa Rubuka attacks criseAngwa Rubuka attacks that later degenerated into mass killings and destruction of properties brewed unabated.
Plateau state first lost it peace on the 11th of September,2001 when violent religious crisis erupted in Jos North.This was a fallout of the mutual suspicion between the Hausa settlers and the indigenous Jos tribes which had been lingering sequel to the creation of Jos North.
The Angwa Rukuba
Junction massacre, 29 March, 2026(Gari ya waye)
Historians are aware that ethnic conflits around the world, most especially in Nigeria, have an underlining background which if not well settled always resonates at the slightest provocation by any of the parties involved. The incident of March 29, 2026 at Angwan Rukuba market has its genesis. It was purely a reprisal attack for the killings which occured on February 22 and 24, 2026 at Dorowa Babuje in Barkin Ladi local government area of the state when a suspected fulani herdsmen went to a village in Dorowa Babuje (Ratatis) and killed about 12 innocent youths at night. The burial of the youths was conducted on February 24th and it triggered a built-up anger. Agony and pains welled up in the broken-hearted indigenes, as a results, some traders, mainly of Hausa origin, travelling to Pankshin market met a violent fate when their vehicle ran into the wailers, mourners and sympathisers at the same Dorowa Bab
uje, their vehicle was trapped and four of them killed as a reprisal for the youths that had just been buried. The four bodies of the traders were then set on fire.
Since the sad killings of the four traders at Dorowa Babuje, the restive youths of the Hausa communities in Jos have not hidden their distraught, anger and desire to avenge the these two separate incidents which, to them, were under reported. The outcry was loud, there was dissenting voices every where; gossips and rumours of imminent reprisal attacks were rife.The result was the unfortunate killings at Angwa Rukuba market. Those who planned this attack, definitely carried out surveillance, identified their targets, identified escape routes and made sure the timing was such that they will catch security forces at their loose ends. Most times, in war situations, he who fires first wins the war. The deed has been done, the rest is now history but unanswered questions are: Who are the brains behind this dastardly ? How did they muster arms? Where was their take off point? Are they Fulani herdsmen or Hausa youths? The questions are legion and I believe thorough
investigation will provide the answers.
Contribution from retired Security Officer, DSP Sunday Maichibi, 08033290489
(To be continued).
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