SUMMARY
The Afisare (also known as Afusari, Afizere, Afizarek, Afusare, Fezere, Fezerek, Fizere, Izere, Jarawan, Jarawan Dutse or Jari) are an Izere speaking ethnic group that resides in Nigeria. The Afisare people are mainly found in Jos North and Jos East local government areas of Plateau state as well as in the neighboring Tafawa-Balewa and Toro local government areas of Bauchi state in central Nigeria.
The Afisare’s ancestral origin can be traced to the Nok culture of Nok village, in the southern parts of Nigeria’s Kaduna state. They also settled in the Chawai region but later migrated to Jos in the neighboring Plateau state, where they stayed in a hilly area. The Afisare people believed that being on the height of the hills would protect them from jihadist attacks during the 19th century Fulani Jihad.
The Afisare people are predominantly hunters and pastoral farmers, and they are also known to raise Muturus (a humpless cattle breed) and to engage in pottery. The Afisare are predominantly Christian although some adhere to Islam and traditional beliefs. Some 30 years ago, the Afisare population was estimated at around 70,000 people and according to a study from 2005, approximately 200,000 considered themselves Afisare, but more recent estimates are hard to obtain. There are five royal families of the Afisare people called Fobur, Forsum, Maigemu, Shere and Federe. Each royal family is represented by a district head and together, the districts heads selects the Afisare traditional leader, known as the Agwom. The district heads are chosen by village chiefs, who in turn are appointed by village elders. Historically, the Agwom has also served as the chief priest of the people.
Along with the Anaguta and Birom, the Afisare is officially considered an “indigenous” group to Plateau state. The status of “indigeneity” has given the Afisare certain privileges, including access to land, political positions and scholarships. Other ethnic groups in the area, such as the Fulani and the Hausa, are deemed “settlers” and have not been granted the same benefits as the Afisare, which has led to violent clashes between the groups on several occasions (for more information see Afisare, Anaguta, Birom - Fulani, Hausa).
Summary
The Anaguta ethnic group inhabits the area of Jos North, within the state of Plateau in central Nigeria. They resided in the Naraguta and Shere hills of Jos during the late 19th century but moved away from Naraguta when the first tin-mining centre opened in Jos, which attracted other ethnic groups to the area such as the Hausa. Therefore, the Anaguta migrated to the lower plains of Babale, Hwoll and the Maza valley.
The estimated population of the Anaguta is 12 000, which is small when compared to other ethnic groups in the area. Christianity is the dominant religion and their language is Iguta, which is part of the Plateau sub-section of the Benue-Congo language branch. In addition, many Anaguta also speak English and Hausa well.
Despite the bow being an important symbol for the Anaguta, whose name means “People of the Bow”, hunting is only one part of the group’s livelihood. Most Anaguta rely on farming or are artisans; potatoes and guinea corn are two of the main farming crops whilst the group was also known to have their own blacksmiths. The “Ujah” is the paramount chief, who leads the Anaguta ethnic group.
Along with the Birom and Afisare, the Anaguta is officially considered an “indigenous” group to Plateau state. The Anaguta are related to the Afisare but are distinguished nowadays by their localized area of inhabitation and their Iguta language, which includes several words from the language of the Birom. Close and positive relations has been maintained among most of their long-term Plateau area neighbors including the Birom and the Afisare, with whom intermarriage and attendance at each other’s important festivals was common. However, due to the small relative population size of the Anaguta, Anaguta women did not marry into other ethnic groups but Birom women often married into the Anaguta, sometimes in exchange for food as the Anaguta were seen to be relatively well-off in this regard.
Other ethnic populations such as the Hausa and Fulani, also inhabit the Jos area of Plateau state but they are deemed “settlers” within the area. The Plateau state federal government decides which communal groups are considered “indigenous” and with this certified status, groups such as the Anaguta benefit from: political access and control over their local government areas, positions in the civil service, scholarships as well as greater legitimacy during landownership claims. On the other hand, members of the “settler” communities do not receive similar advantages, despite claiming that they are as indigenous to the state as the officially recognized indigenous populations. Consequently, non-state violence fueled by this dynamic, as well as ethno-religious tensions, has broken out at times (for more information, see Afisare, Anaguta, Birom - Fulani, Hausa).
The Birom (also Berom) are one of the main indigenous ethnic groups of the Jos Plateau in Plateau State, central Nigeria. They speak the Berom language. The Birom community has been involved in non-state conflicts with other ethnic communities in Nigeria.
The Birom have traditionally relied on farming for subsistence. Most Birom are Christians, although some adhere to traditional, animist beliefs. Like other indigenous groups in Plateau State, their customs have been affected by colonisation, urbanisation and the related influx of other groups, such as pastoralist Muslims - Fulani and Hausa - from northern Nigeria. The land historically inhabited by the Birom borders on those of the Anaguta and Afisare ethnic communities, with the three areas meeting in Jos town. The three groups are culturally similar and have often intermarried.
The Birom people have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
