Religion, ethnicity and citizenship: demands for territorial self-determination in southern Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

This article analyses the ‘politics of scale’ of how identity is linked to territory in the quest for self-determination by actors on the Christian side of the ethno-religious conflict in Kaduna State, Nigeria. Ethnic and political relations are framed with reference to scale, such as ‘the local’ and ‘the regional’, in ways that support claims for territorial control on an ethnic and religious basis. The experience of lack of access to the state is seen to be grounded in community identities. Furthermore, the state relates to citizens through religious and neo-customary authorities as a way to localise authority. This is connected to an idea that neo-customary institutions represent ‘the local’. It is argued in this article that these institutions are just as entangled in various constructions of scale as the state.

Keywords:

• conflict
• ethnicity
• identity
• scale
• territory
• Nigeria

Acknowledgements

The author is grateful for comments on earlier versions of this article by Anders Sjögren, Henrik Berglund, Lars Lindström and two anonymous reviewers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Note on contributor

Henrik Angerbrandt is a Ph.D. candidate and lecturer in the Department of Political Science at Stockholm University, Sweden. His teaching and research interests include: politics of democratisation and development; identity mobilisation in conflicts; and peace and security in Africa. His doctoral thesis interrogates ethnic and religious identities in Nigerian politics, with particular reference to Kaduna State. He has published previously in Journal of Contemporary African Studies.

Notes

1. The word is apostrophised here to indicate that the ‘traditional’ is seldom as historically rooted as portrayed. What counts as traditional practices were often developed under colonial rule (Usman 2006, 44). For ease of reading, the quotation marks are omitted in the rest of the text.

2. Head of State, General Mohammed in Daily Times, February 4, 1976, (as quoted in Alapiki 2005).

3. The National Conference, chaired by Justice Idris Kutigi, was inaugurated by President Goodluck Jonathan in March 2014 with the aim of ‘realistically examining and genuinely resolving, long-standing impediments to our cohesion and harmonious development as a truly United Nation’ (www.nigerianationalconference2014.org/aim). It consisted of 20 committees, of which the Committee on political restructuring and forms of government addressed the issue of state creation. In August 2014, the conference delivered its report to the president.

4. Nock, Ishaya. 2008. President SOKAPU. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 12.

5. Gadani, Marc Jacob. 2008. Press Secretary SOKAPU. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 23.

6. SOKAPU crisis: The Makarfi coup, New Impression October/November 2000. Emphasis added.

7. When capitalised, Southern Kaduna refers to the conception of the groups living in the area, while southern (lower case) Kaduna is a geographical reference.

8. A Group of Concerned Citizens of Netzit (Southern Zaria) Origin. 1987. Memorandum submitted to the Administrative committee of investigation into the March 1987 crisis in Kaduna State, page 1.

9. Dogo, Saido. 2008 Secretary, CAN, Northern Nigeria. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 12.

10. Weekly Trust (Kaduna). June 4, 1999, 2–6.

11. A Group of Concerned Citizens of Netzit (Southern Zaria) Origin. 1987. Memorandum submitted to the Administrative committee of investigation into the March 1987 crisis in Kaduna State. p. 82. Emphasis added.

12. Press release by the Kaduna State Indigenous Pastors network on the 2002 ‘Miss World’ riots. Emphasis added

13. Hayab, John Joseph. 2008. Secretary-General, CAN, Kaduna State. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 22; Makarfi, Jafa'arau. 2007. Kaduna State Chairman, JNI. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 6.

14. BBC. 2011. Nigeria Christians 'to defend churches from Boko Haram'. December 28. (Available at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-16350635, retrieved May 13, 2015.)

15. Kujiyat, Samuel Kraakivit. 2012. Chairman, CAN, Kaduna State. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 2.

16. Ibid.

17. Idowu-Fearon, Josiah. 2012. Anglican Archbishop, Province of Kaduna; Bishop of Kaduna diocese. Interview by author, February 16.

18. Report of the Zangon Kataf (Market) Riots Judicial Commission of Inquiry, June 1992.

19. Kukah, Matthew Hassan. 2007. Catholic priest, diocese of Kafanchan. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 6.

20. Office of Justice, Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), Catholic Diocese of Kafanchan. n.d. The violent crisis in Kafanchan and its environs following the April 16th 2011 presidential election. Press release.

21. Mernyi (2011); Kure, Emmanuel. 2012. Pastor. Throne Room Ministry. Interview by author. Kafanchan, February 9.

22. Barde, Danjuma S. 2009. Gbagyi chief. Interview by author. Kaduna, October 5.

23. Makarfi, Ahmed Mohammed. 2012. Senator, former governor 1999–2007. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 2.

24. Gadani, Marc Jacob. 2008. Press Secretary SOKAPU. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 23.

25. Former SOKAPU treasurer. 2008. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 27.

26. Makarfi, Jafa'arau. 2007. Kaduna State Chairman, JNI. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 6.

27. Makarfi, Ahmed Mohammed. 2012. Senator, former governor 1999–2007. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 2.

28. Local politician 2009. Kaduna State. Interview by author. Kaduna, October 4.

29. Ibid.

30. E.g. Youth Leader, Kabala West. 2012. Interview by author. Kabala West, Kaduna. February 4.

31. Interviews with youths in Zonkwa by author. February 9, 2012. Patrick Yakowa succeeded the elected governor Namadi Sambo when the latter was appointed vice-president in 2010. Yakowa died in a helicopter crash in 2013.

32. Likewise, the former Muslim governor Makarfi is reported to have been nicknamed ‘Pastor Makarfi’ due to his perceived reluctance to introduce the sharia criminal code in 2000 (HRW 2003, 6).

33. Concerned Southern Kaduna People Movement for Power Shift. 2003. Memo in Support of Power Shift to Southern Kaduna Submitted to the South Kaduna Political Committee. February 26.

34. Emirates and chiefdoms are divided into a number of districts that have separate rulers appointed by the emir or chief.

35. Wuye, James. 2012. Gbagyi; pastor; Inter-Faith Mediation Centre. Interview by author. Kaduna, February 6.

36. Kukah, Matthew Hassan. 2007. Catholic priest, diocese of Kafanchan. Interview by author. Kaduna, March 6.