THE RECURRING INCIDENTS OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA: A PERSPECTIVE ON NATIONAL SECURITY CHALLENGES FOR NIGERIA
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND……………………………………….. 1-5
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM…………………….. 5-6
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY…………………………... 6-7
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY………………………… 7
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY…………………………………. 7
METHODOLOGY…………………………………………………...... 8
1.6 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY……………………… 8
1.7 ENDNOTES…………………………………………………… 9
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 CONFLICT…………………………………………………… 10-12
2.2 ETHNICITY…………………………………………………….. 13-15
2.3 RELIGION………………………………………………………. 15-16
2.4 ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS………………………… 16-17
2.5 NATIONAL SECURITY………………………………………. 18-19
ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND NATIONAL
2.6 SECURITY……………………………………………….. 20-21
2.7 SUMMARY……………………………………………………….. 21-22
2.8 ENDNOTES……………………………………………………. 23-25
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 RESEARCH DESIGN………………………………… 26-27
3.2 AREA OF STUDY……………………………………………….. 27
3.3 SAMPLING AND SAMPLING TECHNIQUE……………….27-28
3.4 POPULATION…………………………………………………….28
3.5 INSTRUMENT/METHODOLOGY FOR DATA
COLLECTION……………………………………………………. 28-29
3.6 RELIABILITY AND VALIDATION OF INSTRUMENTS…29
3.7 WEAKNESS OF THE STUDY………………………………… 30
3.8 SUMMARY………………………………………………………… 30
3.9 ENDNOTES………………………………………………………….31
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
THE RECURRING INCIDENTS OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS
CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA: PERSPECTIVE ON NATIONAL
SECURITY CHALLENGES FOR NIGERIA………………….. 32-53
DATA ANALYSIS………………………………………………….. 53-54
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ETHNO-RELIGIOUS
CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA………………………………………. 54
RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC INTOLERANCE………………. 55-56
COMPETITION FOR SCARE RESOURCES………………. 56-57
HIGH ILLETRACY LEVEL………………………………………. 57-58
POLITICAL REPRESENTATION…………………………….. 58-59
CORRUPTION……………………………………………………. 59-60
INDIGENE/SETTLER DISPUTES……………………………. 60-61
IMPLICATIONS OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS ON
NATIONAL SECURITY………………………………………… 61-62
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS………………………………………. 62-64
ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS…………………………………. 65-66
POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS…………………………………… 66-67
MEASURES TO MANAGE ETHNO-RELIGIOUS
CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA……………………………………… 68-71
ENDNOTES………………………………………………………… 72-73
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
CONCLUSION………………………………………………….. 74-76
RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………….. 77
ANNEX..….………………………………………………………. A-1-4
ANNEX B…………………………………………………………. B-1-14
REFERENCES
BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………..... 79-83
ABSTRACT
1. Ethno-religious conflict has been one of the most pervasive and enduring conflicts in Nigeria due to its multi-ethnic nature and diverse socio-cultural background. The need to examine these conflicts and how they can be effectively managed in the country necessitated the study. The scope of the study covered the major ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria since 1999 with the objectives of examining the causes, the political, economic and social implication of these conflicts and ways of managing and resolving them.
2. The study also appraised the mechanism for conflict management and resolution in Nigeria. Information and data for the study was based on documents, published and unpublished texts, newspaper and magazines. Analysis of the data showed that conflict is a social phenomenon. It cannot be eliminated from any society, but can only be managed through effective mechanism put in place by government. The study identified the freedom of expression arising from the transition to democratic rule as the main cause of the recent ethno-religious conflicts in the country. Other causes of ethno-religious conflicts were identified, and traced to poverty and high level of corruption in the country.
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
The security of a state translates to its capacity to protect its citizens as well as national assets from both internal and external threats. National security entails a condition in which citizens of a country enjoy free, peaceful and safe environment; and have access to resources which will enable them enjoy the basic necessities of life (Enahoro,2004). It also guarantees individuals and groups the freedom to carry out their legitimate businesses without hindrances. A nation’s security may be undermined by either external or internal conflicts resulting from political, social, religious and economic misunderstanding within it. These conflicts usually reflect varying interest between two or more opposing forces, communities or groups within or outside the society. These may lead to competition, tension, hostility, fear and suspicion; and usually to one form of aggression or the other among the competing parties (Chaplin, 1979:3). Conflicts also affect social, political religious and economic lives of societies.
Religion is value based; as such people are usually emotionally attached to it and less tolerant with any attack on it. Religious conflict can be described as disagreement from differences in faith and belief (Dentsch, 2001:3). However, most conflicts referred to as religious in Nigeria may actually be ethnic based. Ethnic conflicts are struggles for or rights to certain needs such as land education political autonomy or representation and preservation or identity among other demands. Ethno-religious conflicts in Nigerian could therefore be described as a situation that often results in conflict when 2 or more ethnic or religious groups desire to achieve a goal. Obviously these conflicts are not confined to any specific geo-political region of Nigeria.
Ethno-religious conflict is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. For instance, there was a politically or ethnically motivated riot known as Kano Riot in 1953. The 1962 and 1964 Tiv riots, the 1969 Agbekoya farmers uprising and the 1979 Kafanchan Christian-Muslin religious disturbances were thought to be politically or religiously motivated. Also, there are many instances of ethno-religious crises in the country such as
the 1980 Bakolori farmers uprising in Sokoto state, the Maitasine intra religious disturbances, the Ife-Modakeke conflict in 1986 and the numerous riots in universities and tertiary institutions at various times in the country. There was also riot in Kano in 1991 over an open air Christian crusade by a German based evangelist Rev Reinhard Bonke’s. Within 1993 and 1996, the Ugep and Idomi ethnic groups in Cross Rivers State were also involved in communal conflicts. The list is in exhaustive. These conflicts have negatively affected political and socio-economic activities in the affected states and in the country as a whole especially in the areas of commerce and tourism.
A vital interest in Nigeria’s national defence objectives is to ensure her survival and security .The Federal Government of Nigeria in an attempt to eradicate the threat posed by ethnic and religious conflicts have put measures in place to prevent its continued re-occurrence. The increase in the number of conflicts and the nature of violence associated with each crisis and the sophistication of weapons employed in recent ethnic and
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