SUMMARY

Modakeke is a town of approximately 200 000 inhabitants located not far from Ife town in Osun state, in southern Nigeria. Modakekes history is similar to Ife’s; they both have a Yoruba majority in terms of ethnicity, and both towns are dominated by the Muslim faith.

A core issue that has been of utmost importance to the Modakeke community has been the division of political power in the region. The political power in turn translates into power over land, an issue that is pertinent to the Modakeke community, as well as to other ethnic and/or religious groups in the area.

The Modakeke town has had official leaders. These leaders have not, however, been involved in organising any violence, quite the contrary, they have actively worked with the Nigerian authorities to limit the violence and find peaceful solutions to the violence that the Modakeke inhabitants have been engaged in.

The group of people that has been most active in the conflicts are the youth of Modakeke. Therefore only certain parts of the town have actively engaged in the violence. Along similar lines the definition of the Modakeke as a group involved in violence is perhaps a definition made on the basis of having a clear adversary, an out group that helps the group to identify itself.

The Modakeke inhabitants have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP-organised violence.