The 2001 Jos riots were

riot A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people. Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targete ...

s involving

Christians Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

and

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

s in Jos,

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

, over the appointment of a Muslim politician, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed, as local coordinator of the federal

poverty alleviation Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics clas ...

program. The clashes started on 7 September and lasted nearly two weeks, ending on 17 September. Some 1,000 people were killed during the riots.

Causes

Religious and ethnic conflicts have repeatedly occurred in Jos due to the city's geographical placement in Nigeria. Jos, the capital of

Plateau State Plateau State is the twelfth-largest Nigerian state. It is in the centre of the country includes a range of hills surrounding the Jos Plateau, its capital, and the entire plateau itself. Plateau State is described as "The Home of Peace and To ...

, is located in the middle of the country, which lies between the predominantly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. Jos was also known for its job opportunities leading people from around Nigeria to move there for employment. The influx of people led to tensions between members of "indigene" (indigenous) ethnic groups and non-indigene ethnic groups (often referred to as "settlers"). In June 2001 the federal government appointed a Hausa Muslim politician, Alhaji Muktar Mohammed, as local coordinator of the federal poverty alleviation program, leading indigene Christians to protest his appointment. Tensions turned violent on 7 September 2001, when a Christian woman attempted to cross a barricaded street outside a mosque during Friday prayers. It led to a conflict between her and a group of Muslims. The fight eventually spread to other parts of the city.

Riots

Fighting spread through various Jos neighborhoods and to surrounding communities. Property and even human beings were set on fire. Many houses, shops, mosques and churches were burned or damaged. Torched cars were left along the streets after the clashes. Christian leaders reported that Muslims spontaneously attacked Christians and burned churches, including three churches of the

Church of Christ in Nigeria The Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), formerly Church of Christ in Nigeria, is a Christian denomination in Nigeria. It was founded in 1904. Its current headquarters is in Jos, Plateau State. Its current president is Rev. Prof. Dachollom Datiri, ...

(presently known as, 'Church of Christ in Nations' COCIN), the main

Assemblies of God The Assemblies of God (AG), officially the World Assemblies of God Fellowship, is a group of over 144 autonomous self-governing national groupings of churches that together form the world's largest Pentecostal denomination."Assemblies of God". ...

church, and a Jos Apostolic Church. The military was eventually deployed and stopped the violence. Local sources said the military's intervention and strict enforcement of the curfew helped end the clashes.

Aftermath

The 10 days of violence left approximately 1,000 dead.Nigeria Christian and Muslim conflict timeline , Timetoast timelines
Timetoast.com. Because of the large number of people killed in the clashes, a mass burial had to be arranged. The riots caused the displacement of at least 50,000 civilians. The authorities arrested several hundred people and set up a commission of inquiry, which identified people who were allegedly involved in the violence, but no one was successfully prosecuted.

References

Jos riots 2001 riots {{DEFAULTSORT:Jos riots Political riots Religious riots in Nigeria Jos Attacks on religious buildings and structures in Nigeria September 2001 events in Nigeria

Causes

Riots

Aftermath

See also

References