Jos — PLATEAU State had prided itself as the home of peace and tourism since its creation 25 years ago. And it had enjoyed peace before now. But then ethnic, political, religious and economic crises took over parts of the country and Plateau is now taking its turn.

The state served as the refugee camp for all those who were fleeing for dear life from hot spots especially when the Islamic legal system otherwise known as the Sharia was introduced and implemented in some states in the north.

However, little did the state and its people know that it was sitting on a time bomb which would one day explode. This actually exploded last Friday, in a jiffy when it was alleged in Congo-Russia of Jos North local government council that a woman attempted to pass through the file of praying Moslems. But the woman was disallowed while some men from nowhere surged to the scene immediately, armed with dangerous weapons thereby igniting the whole crisis.

That was not all. Another version had it that after a passenger alighted from a commercial motorbike, he started shouting that his genital was missing, eliciting the support of the people around. This they said immediately assumed different dimensions as if it was pre-planned.

People always use religion as a cover to achieve their political, economic and ethnic ambitions. The crisis immediately took religious dimensions with militant groups fighting on religious divides whereas it should not have been so.

The real cause of last Friday's carnage is the underlying fear of domination. Everybody who matters in Plateau politics is interested in who controls Jos North local government council. The race started even before Jos local government council was split into Jos North, Jos South and Jos East councils. Yet Jos North still holds political sway. It is still very central and regarded as the commercial, social, economic and political nerve centre of Plateau State.

Both the indigenes and people regarded as settlers developed a special interest in the council. It was in Jos North that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) convention that late Chief Moshood Abiola (MKO) was produced as the party's presidential flag bearer was held in 1993. Abiola was acclaimed to have won the election that was later annulled by the military during the regime of General Ibrahim Babangid (rtd.).

It was also in the same Jos North that President Olusegun Obasanjo was elected the presidential flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at its national convention in 1999. Chief Solomon Lar, the former national chairman of the party resides in Jos North outside his Langtang North council home.

Apart from that all the Langtang generals have their residential homes in Jos North local government council. It is like a competition for honour and political recognition to be identified with Jos North. Therefore it seems of paramount concern to politicians to know who really controls the council.

Alhaji Mohammed Muktar, a Jasawa man (Hausa man), became the council chairman during the days of the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP). But his reign was shortlived as it was trailed by political intrigues, horse-trading, ethnicity and above all, deep seated fear of domination. His regime was truncated.

The predominant tribe, the Berom, are rightly or otherwise laying claims to the ownership of Jos North as indigenes of the area. On the other hand, the Jasawa are also laying claims to the council arguing that they founded it even before the Berom came in. But the Berom consider them as settlers who came to Jos from the northern parts of the country and took advantage of the indigenes.

Thus, the crisis which erupted on Friday seems an immediate cause. The fear of domination has been there from the time the state was carved from the defunct Benue/Plateau State. The fragile peace being enjoyed by the state was thus shattered to the surprise of those, including the state government which hitherto had taken things for granted.

When the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Muktar as the coordinator of the National Poverty Eradication Programme by the Federal Government for Jos North local council came, the Berom saw this as a threat to their hegemony and hold in the council.

Muktar claimed that many threat letters were pasted all over the local government secretariat including his office that he should either leave the office if he valued his life or remain and lose same. He was forced to abdicate the post and he petitioned the state police command.

As should be expected, the Moslem faithfuls also believed that asking their kinsmen Muktar, to leave the office he was duly appointed by the Federal Government was an injustice and a rape on democracy. So, the Moslem youths took it upon themselves to threaten fire and brimstone that should the Berom make good their threats, they would be met with vehement resistance.

The Plateau Youth Council (PYC) held an emergency press conference and claimed at the forum that the Jasawa too have been issuing threat letters to their lives. The youths further alleged that the Jasawa have been taking the laws into their hands.

They lamented that no security measures were ever taken. They considered the development as unbearable and absolutely unacceptable.

According to the chairman of the youth council, Mr. Bagudu Itse, it is "funny and insulting that a Hausa/Fulani man from Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, etc, who is looking for a pasture and trade settled in Jos among the indigenes of Afizere, Anaguta and Berom only to wake up one day to lay claim to a place leased to them for peaceful co-existence forgeting that there are other settlers such as Yoruba, Ibos, Urhobos, Tivs, Eggons etc with whom we have co-existed over the years."

But with all the dangers of a violent collision by the two contending forces, government could not read the handwriting on the wall to swing into action to avert the clash which claimed many lives and property worth billions of naira destroyed.

The government was caught off-guards especially when the state Governor, Chief Joshua Dariye, was on leave in the United States.

Some people alleged that he was briefed about the impending disaster by the security. The Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Ezekiel Gomos, while answering questions from journalists, said the violence erupted a week after the governor had travelled to the United States, adding that immediately the crisis occurred, the governor was contacted.

Although government confirmed 51 as the number of persons killed, people who really witnessed the horror put the figure much higher.

Immediately the crisis erupted last Friday, the Deputy Governor, Chief Michael Botmang, who was the acting governor, quickly made a broadcast to the people of the state to sheathe their swords and embrace peace. He imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew which was not at all effective because it was ignored by both warring factions.

The next day, the situation became more violent which necessitated the involvement of the military who took over completely the security of the city from the regular police.

The situation, as a result, was calm that day as the soldiers succeeded in dispersing the gathering combatants. But in spite of the uneasy calm that enveloped the city and environs, silent killings were still going on especially in the hinterlands.

The warriors took advantage of the rough terrain of some areas to perpetuate silent killings.

Rumours were just flying about. There was stampede everywhere; rumours that some fake soldiers at Dadin Kowa were imported by one of the interest groups to kill people sent shivers down the spine of some people who would have loved to ply the road to their states for safety. It took the combined efforts of the deputy governor and the assistant inspector general of police in charge of zone four, Mr. Chris Obadan to calm the situation at Dadin Kowa.

All over the capital city, refugees abound. As at the time of this report, there are 16 refugee camps confirmed by the state government. According to Gomos, government had taken steps to address refugee problems, by buying grains, gari, other food stuff, and blankets for them.

At Rukuba Barracks Cantonment of the 3 Armoured Division, the General Officer Commanding Major-General Thaddeus Akande, did not wait for relief materials to come from the government before he swung into action. He bought food items and clothings and distributed them among the over 10,000 refugees, the highest camp in the state.

Commissioner for Information, Barrister Amos Azi, had earlier described the crisis as senseless, saying that government was extremely disappointed that a few individuals would want to abuse the hospitality of the people of the state to bring suffering and anguish to the peace-loving state. Azi advised the warriors not to test the will of the government, threatening that any further act of violence would be met by a stiff and decisive response by the security agencies. He also assured that full-blown investigation would be done to find the immediate and remote causes of the crisis.

The temporary calm that had been restored was shattered by the unending rumours of rising casualties, rampaging youths burning places of worship. This forced government to extend the curfew hours by three hours starting from 4 p.m and ending by 7 a.m.

To douse the tension, government held a meeting with the religious leaders and community leaders when representatives of both the Christian and Moslem faith made intermittent broadcast to their followers, appealing for calm.

Be that as it may, those who lost their beloved ones and property are the losers while the persons using them are laughing for achieving their aim.

The real cause of last Friday's carnage is the underlying fear of domination. Everybody who matters in Plateau politics is interested in who controls Jos North local government council. The race started even before Jos local government council was split into Jos North, Jos South and Jos East councils. Yet Jos North still holds political sway. It is still very central and regarded as the commercial, social, economic and political nerve centre of Plateau State