THE CRISIS OF CITIZENSHIP IN NIGERIA: A STUDY OF INDIGENE-SETTLER CONFLICT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Towards  the  end  of  the  twentieth  century,  socio-political  changes  have

happened in various places. Ethnic minority groups have been striving to shake off-long usurpations, to cast off the yoke of distant suzerains and to take their own destinies in their own hands, this happened simultaneously with the move by religious groups to influence the social, political and economic relations in the society (Guardian, February, 1993). In Nigeria since the beginning of 1990s ethnic and religious crisis have been taking place throughout the country. This was part of the national question that can be ignored only at the expense of the nation. Little wonder therefore, that the recent United States intelligence report about sub-saharan Africa predict Nigeria‘s failure in fifteen years. Although the government has since discredited the report as being far from the reality, but she did not condemn it in totality (Leadership, June, 2005).

The current resurgence of ethnic and religious violence going on throughout the country, and which has been taking different forms and dimensions, can directly be linked to the growth of population and development of communication, which have widened the political and economic awareness of the people of Nigeria. The development has also created the problems of citizenship all over the country. In Jos-North Local Government Area, Plateau State, this state of affairs has created the crisis of indigene/ settler which caught the government unawares.

On general note it is pertinent to say that before 1991, harmonious relationship characterized the life of the people of Jos-North Local Government Area.