How Jos crisis Began - By man on the spot

The crisis that engulfed the Plateau State capital of Jos on Sunday started at Dutse Uku on the city outskirts when Christian youth tried to stop a Muslim man from renovating his house that was destroyed in the November 2008 riot, according to Alhaji Kabir Muhammad, the man at the center of the storm.

Speaking to our reporter in Jos yesterday, Alhaji Kabiru said, “During the 2008 crisis [in Jos], my house was burnt and I had to relocate elsewhere while I started renovating it gradually. By weekend, I had reached the level where I was going to put on the decking. The residents in my area had earlier volunteered to help me when I come to put on the decking. Therefore yesterday (Sunday, January 17th) people came to the site to help in putting on the decking. We did a significant level of the work when the sand finished, so I rushed to Yan’ Tifa [area] and ordered two trucks of sand.”

He continued, “When the driver went for the second round to supply the sand, I saw from afar that some people were stoning the people in the tipper truck, while the people in the truck too were stoning them. I went down there to see what was happening, and they told me that they were insulting them. Many people gathered there and consoled the tipper men and everybody dispersed. Then the person that was stoning the people in the truck went and told his people that he was beaten by some Hausa youths and before you know it, a mob gathered at the site where I was renovating my house and demanded that we should stop the work. I then realized that the situation might become uncontrollable, so I rushed with my car to call soldiers who were posted at Yan Trailer [garage].

“Even before I got there, someone had informed them because they were already in their van heading towards the area. So I turned back and followed them. When we arrived at my house with the soldiers, the people popularly known as Yan Kasa [i.e. natives] demanded that the renovation work should be stopped. One particular Bajari man was the one that insisted that I must halt the work. I explained to the soldiers that I had already started this work when they proposed that the work should be stopped so that the matter can be resolved. One of the soldiers even collected my number and said that about five of us will go and sit down to resolve the matter. Then all of a sudden, we saw one Achaba boy [commercial motorcyclist] heading towards us with blood all over him. Someone was pushing his motorcycle, then another old man followed suit with similar injuries. I told my people to station the two victims so that they can serve as witnesses to us. So I asked the workers to stop the work, but the workers insisted that we must continue with work since we had already mixed the cement, sand and stone.

“I told them that they should stop the work since I was the one that bought the cement, but they refused. So the soldiers said that they should continue the work with the cement that was mixed and when they finish it, they should then stop. But before you know it, we saw a group of youths from afar and they started stoning us. We later heard that they had set up a road block around Baptist area and they were beating people. So we all dispersed. That is as far as I can remember.”

Asked if the Yan Kasa youth had told him why he must stop his renovation work, Alhaji Kabir said, “Yes, they said that they don’t want any Muslim to come back to that area again. That is what they said, that no Muslim should return to that area.” He was also asked if any Muslims live in the area, and he said, “There are some Muslims, but my house happens to be at the boundary which separates our area from their area.  Down inside the area there were Muslims. There are even some that renovated their houses and returned during the [Ramadan] fasting period, but my house happens to be at the boundary and there are no Muslims there.”

Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad also denied claims that the trouble started because he encroached upon someone else’s land while renovating his house. He said, “I have heard many versions of this incident, but this is the first time I am hearing this. I have been living in that area for over twenty years. It is not even a new house. It is an old house that was burnt during the 2008 crisis. I am just trying to renovate it. There is no truth in this allegation and like I said, this is the first time I am hearing this.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Police Affairs Dr Ibrahim Yakubu Lame said in Abuja yesterday that the police have been directed to fish out and bring to book those behind Sunday’s latest mayhem in Jos. 

 He said at the police force headquarters Abuja while commissioning new trucks and motorcycles that those behind the violent crisis in Jos and other upheavals in all parts of the country and their sponsors will no longer have any place to hide, as the police have been given orders to fish them out by all means and prosecute them.

Lame said the police will go after those responsible for the violence, no matter how highly placed in the society, in order to put a permanent stop to wanton destruction of lives and property. He blamed such incidents on some highly placed individuals in the society and vowed that government will not allow them to destroy the economic and social fabric of the nation.

Source: Daily Trust

---

Posted: at 19-01-2010 05:30 PM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Diz verson na wa oh...

---

Posted: at 20-01-2010 02:45 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming

No sir.
Teeco's version is for real.

Posted: at 20-01-2010 08:11 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming

The christians in Jos should take it easy, i dont know that is the situation of things, and evrybody including me have been abusing the muslims, itis the christians who over reacted and not the muslims this time around. They including the Governor should apologise to the muslims and let bye gone be bye gone,we all Nigerians, we should try and leave peacefully with one another. In yoruba land the cordiality between the christians and the muslim is their, we all respect each others religion,let it be so with the north also. Christians indigenes in Jos for God sake take it easy

Posted: at 23-01-2010 06:04 PM (14 years ago) | Newbie

Well I know that a christian if at all is a chritian should not be physically violent, our Lord Jesus told us that if you are slapped on one cheek turn the other: Though that is figurative but it means that we most tolerate, endure and suffer long, we must by every means avoid violence. Hard as this may seem it is not too hard to run away from assault and insult instead of retorting.
Even th jews tolerated and lived with people of other beliefs, so it is an express way to go to hell when you start fighting in the name of the LORD.
Finally religious tolerance must be encouraged by all, arguments on religious principles and beliefs should by all means be discouraged.
I pray that the LORD engulf this Nation with peace and righteousness in Jesus name amen.

You all have a nice and fun filled weekend

Posted: at 24-01-2010 09:11 AM (14 years ago) | Newbie

ok

---

Posted: at 25-01-2010 03:16 PM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Ah me I no know Ooo

---

Posted: at 25-01-2010 04:44 PM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero

guys if you dont believe what teeco said why not come down to jos to verify it from where you reside,but let me ask these do hausa and muslims doesnt have right in this country that all you guys are judging them?

Posted: at 25-01-2010 07:09 PM (14 years ago) | Newbie

NO

---

Posted: at 26-01-2010 09:45 AM (14 years ago) | Addicted Hero

i will advise dat those of u who ve insult Islam or the Muslims one way or d oda shld use d opportunity to apologise and God in His Infinite Mercy 4give dos of u.

i rest my case

Posted: at 27-01-2010 08:47 AM (14 years ago) | Upcoming