SUMMARY
The northern states of Nigeria are home to 53 million people, and over 160 ethnicities. Northern Nigeria, namely Kano and Kaduna states are home to a majority of Nigeria’s Muslim population. The issue of religion has on several occasions been problematic, especially concerning the minority-majority relationships between the Muslim and the Christian population. Fear of domination has led to a situation where mistrust and suspicion between the different groups run high. Religious beliefs are often unanimous within ethnic groups; the clashes between Christians and Muslims can therefore often be seen and reported as clashes between the different ethnicities. Given the divided and sometimes even suspicious mindset of the different groups the animosities between the groups tend to accumulate and erupt, often in relation to what is perhaps a trivial argument. It should however be understood that the ethnic and religious differences are present in concert with various divides and perceived injustices making even the smallest issue a potential conflict.
The other dyads that belong to the same northern Nigeria cluster of non-state conflicts are; Hausa – Igbo, Hausa – Ninzam and Hausa – Kataf.
The violence between the Hausa on the one side, and Igbo, Yoruba ethnicities on the other was carried out during what started as anti-American protests, but soon degenerated into religiously divided clashes. The reasons for the gathering of people in the streets of Kano, a Muslim dominated city in the northern parts of Nigeria, were according to the protesters to voice their disapproval of the recently launched U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan. Witnesses testify to a development that started out as peaceful demonstrations, but was soon hijacked by young unemployed hoodlums that wreaked havoc creating a situation where mass violence was sure to follow. The demonstrations soon became violent, and given the distinct religious divide between the mainly Muslim Hausa and the Christian Igbo, Yoruba ethnic groups the violence put the different religious groups against each other. As the demonstrations progressed a large number of Hausa youths joined the ranks and started to attack members of other groups, predominantly Igbo, Yoruba. The situation escalated and during the night the fighting was intense. Reports describe the scenes as chaotic. As a result of the violence a large flow of refugees migrated out of Kano to find shelter. The refugees were mainly non-Muslims who felt threatened by the aggressive and violent situation in Kano
The city of Kano, the Nigerian city with the largest Muslim population, has been tense since the 1980s; relations between the Muslim majority and the Christian minority have been far from cordial. Several conflicts and numerous deaths can be attributed to the Christian/Muslim divide in northern Nigeria.
The violence in this specific dyad was tumultuous and riot-like, there was no clear leader and the tactics can best be described as enraged youths roving the streets looting, burning, and killing people. The violence did not succumb until a curfew was put in place and the police were given shoot on sight orders. The violence that lasted over a weekend in October 2001 was extremely violent and caused the deaths of more than 200 people.
The Hausa – Igbo, Yoruba conflict must also be viewed in the broader spectrum of the ethnic and religious non-state conflicts that have ravaged Nigeria in the past and intensified with the end of military rule, from 1999 and onwards. The conflicts throughout Nigeria have ethnic, political, economic, and religious components, which have become inextricably linked over time, pitting various groups and alliances of groups against each other along different dividing lines.
The non-state conflict between the Hausa and Igbo, Yoruba ethnic groups is first included in UCDP data in 2001. In October of that year fighting in the city of Kano resulted in at least 200 battle-related deaths.
