The Rise of Islamic Jihad in Northern Nigeria and Its Implications on the Jos-Plateau Religious Conflicts

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For over two decades, the regions of northern Nigeria have been experiencing various religious conflicts and government approach in curbing the menaces have often been of no positive effect. From the year 2001, the conflicts have taken a new dimension because Hausa/Fulani jihadists sporadically attack rural communities within the Jos Plateau province repeatedly killing hundreds and thousands of people without showing any remorse. The conflicts have often been described by the media and politicians as strictly an ethnic or land-ownership conflicts. Using historical analogies, this researcher argues that the course for Islamic Jihad in northern Nigeria which started since 1804 is the main reason behind Muslim and Christian conflicts in Jos.