Authors
Barje, T. Z., Audu, B. N.
Abstract
Kaduna metropolis is one of the most vibrant and economically viable cities not only in northern Nigeria but the country as a whole. What many are not aware of is that deep in the history of this capital, there is a deep-seated struggle to control the political and economic institutions of the state, a struggle that is rooted in the origin of the establishment of the metropolis as the capital of Northern Nigeria during the colonial period. At the centre of these contestation and claims is the Gbagyi ethnic nationality which have historically lay claim to the city. Other contestations in the city arise only because the metropolis is the centre of political leadership and economic nerve centre of the state. The struggles for control and recognition have been considered in this study as the silent trigger of the numerous ethno-religious crises of the city. Using various historical materials published on the history of Kaduna, this study analyses the historical context of these claims and contestations and the major actors involved.
Keywords
Kaduna, Gbagyi, Ethnic minorities, Contestations, Ethno-religious Crisis
Introduction
Kaduna state is located in the Northwestern region of Nigeria, and it is one of the states in the country that is peopled by so many ethnic nationalities who claim to be indigenous to the state on the basis of their history and ancestral origins. Aside from the indigenous people of Kaduna state, the state, especially the capital, is also home to Nigerians of various ethnic nationalities and origins, who by virtue of employment, business establishments and choice of settlement have made the state home. The state ranked among the most economically viable states in the Northern part of the country with an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N52.9 billion naira in 2021 (Statisense, 2022), making her the highest in the north after Kano state. Kaduna metropolis on the other hand, has always been considered as the political nerve centre of Northern Nigeria politics. From its early beginnings as the colonial headquarters of Protectorate of Northern Nigeria, it metamorphosed into the choice neighbourhood of the high-and-mighty class of Northern Nigeria political aristocrat. It also considered highly in terms of religious importance, not because the metropolis had any historical significance as an Islamic centre like Kano, Katsina and Borno states, but Kaduna has carved a niche for being the nerve centre of modern Nigeria Islamic politicoreligious thoughts and fundamentalist institutions, where the apex Islamic organs and bodies are established.
Content
Despite the blitz and glamour that characterised Kaduna metropolis, it is also considered as one of the most volatile cities in the country due to its ethno-religious composition. Being a city that is sharply divided by religion, between Muslims and Christians, and added to the ethnic composition, it has experienced some of the ugliest ethno-religious clashes the country has witnessed. So many reasons have been adduced to the crisis in Kaduna state, majority of these have been linked with the city’s history and religious divide.1 This study is an attempt to present in historical perspective, the context, claims and political contestation of the ownership of Kaduna metropolis, which has been a barrage of political cudgeling between the Gbagyi and the Hausa/Fulani under the suzerain of Zaria emirate, who control to some extent the external relations between the states. Based on historical evidences, the Gbagyi have laid claim to the metropolis having been the first settlers on the land from as early as 1700AD (Jackel, 1997), they claim only to owed some form of allegiance to the Habe king of Zaria until he was driven by the Fulani after the jihad and forced to flee to Abuja (Temple, 1922: 125).However, from the arrival of the British, the whole political landscape was changed introducing other active actors, who successfully dominated and took over the political control of this area
Conclusion
The evolution of Kaduna metropolis since the colonial period has erupted series of political development that has activated century old dissatisfaction among groups within the metropolis. This inadvertently initiated a struggle to maintain control, and to beg for recognition/inclusiveness, respectively from those who hold the economic and political wand, and secondly from those who feel they are valid stakeholders and should be accorded a place at the table. Being the political capital of the state, happenings in Kaduna metropolis can often trigger reaction from other parts of the state, it is made more complicated when the southern half of the metropolis is occupied majorly by Christians and the northern part dominated by Muslims, which coincidentally is the reflection of the ethnic and religious division of the state between a south mostly dominated by Christians ethnic minority groups and a north dominated by Hausa/Fulani ethnic majority.
References
Toyin Falola, 1998 Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Secular Ideology, Rochester: University of Rochester Press; Emmanuel Peter Ogbaki, 2017, “Conflicts in Southern Kaduna: Causes and Strategies for Resolution”, Nigeria Journal of Religion and Society JORAS, Vol. 7, pp. 12-28; Kukah Mathew Hassan, 1993, Religion, Politics and Power in Northern Nigeria, Ibadan: Spectrum. Adeleye, R. A. 1971. Power and Diplomacy in Northern Nigeria, 1804 – 1906: The Sokoto Caliphate and its Enemies, London: Longman. Bununu, Y. A., A.N.M. Ludin and Nafisa Hosni. 2015. “City Profile: Kaduna”, Cities: The International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning 49 Falola, Toyin. 1998. Violence in Nigeria: The Crisis of Religious Politics and Secular Ideology, Rochester: University of Rochester Press. Filaba, M. A. and Gojeh L. A. 2008.Koro and Gbagyi Subgroup Relations in Central Nigeria, Ethiopia: Gabdel Integrated Services Limited. Gandu, YohanaKagaro. 2011. “Historical and Contemporary basis for Sectarian residential settlement patterns in Kaduna Metropolis of Northern Nigeria”, Mawazo: The Journal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, 10(3), 72 – 91. Human Rights Watch. 2003. “Nigeria, the ‘Miss World Riots’: Continued Impunity for Killings in Kaduna.” International Crisis Group. 2010. “Northern Nigeria: Background to Conflict”, Africa Report No 168 – 20.