WUKARI
CRISES: THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER
TEXT
OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY JUKUN PROGRESSIVE FORUM ON THE INCESSANT CRISES IN JUKUN
LAND HELD AT THE PRESS CENTRE, JOS, PLATEAU STATE
ON
SATURDAY, 12TH DECEMBER, 2015.
In recent times Wukari, the headquarters of Wukari local
government area of Taraba
State
2. The latest crisis was erroneously
attributed as a fallout of Taraba State Governorship Election Tribunal’s verdict
in the State. This is not true. The fact of the matter is that, it (the crisis)
is the continuation of the ethno-religious attacks the area has been subjected
to by internal and external forces who do not want Wukari to enjoy peace and
progress.
3. Gentlemen of the Press, for the avoidance
of doubt it is necessary at this point to acquaint you with the founding and
history of Wukari town.
THE
FOUNDING AND HISTORY OF WUKARI
4.
Ukari
or Wukari, as it is commonly spelt was founded in 1596 by Aku Uka, Angyu
Katakpa (who ruled from 1596-1615), the son of the Agbukenjo Katakpa, the 40th
Aku of Kwararafa. Without any iota of doubt Wukari is a Jukun town and founded
by the Jukun. Anybody making a contrary statement concerning its ownership is
peddling falsehood and mischief.
5. Wukari was also a walled city with seven
gates. Today, only one gate has remained relevant to the people, which is the northern
gate that is used as exit for the deceased members of the royal family and
other title holders.
6. The Aku Uka is
the traditional as well as the spiritual leader of the Jukun. He is indeed the
symbol and focus of the Jukun, whose authority is revered.
7. In Nigeria today, some of the ethnic
groups who were part of the Kwararafa Empire are the Alagos, Mighilis (Koro),
Goemai, Idoma, Igala to mention just a few, still maintain fraternal
relationship with Wukari and the Jukun. In fact, Kwararafa ethnic nationalities
exist in 28 out of the 36 States of the Federation.
8. Earlier
settlers in Wukari also included the Kutumbawas, Maguzawas and Wangarawas (who
accompanied the Jukun to Wukari after their exploits in Hausa city States. Collectively,
the groups are referred to by the Jukun as Abakwarigas), the Gobirawas and the
Kanuris, who were warmly welcomed by their Jukun hosts, most of whom prospered
in the town. Over the years there have been intermarriages between the Jukun
and these settlers.
9. Also in 1932 Wukari
witnessed the influx of another set of settlers, this time from Sokoto,
following the deposition of the then Sultan Muhammad Tambari. When he abdicated
the Sultanate in 1930, he was exiled to Wukari and some of his followers
accompanied him to town. He died in 1934 and was buried in Wukari. His
followers have since made the town their home.
10. Yet, another
group of immigrants that arrived Wukari were some Kantanawas from Kanam Local
Government Area of Plateau State. This happened in the 1970’s, as a result of
civil strife which claimed the life of their traditional ruler. Perhaps,
feeling unsafe, they fled to Wukari in droves to seek for sanctuary. They too,
were welcomed with open arms by the Jukun.
11. Due to the
accommodating nature of the Jukun, many of these groups mentioned above have
been integrated fully into the main stream Jukun society.
12. The Abakwarigas
in particular, even share socio-cultural relationship with the Jukun so much
that they are accorded special places in the Royal Court of Wukari.
13. Over time, the
town has witnessed the influx of many other ethnic groups from different parts
of the country, among these are the Ibos, Yorubas, Ijaws just to mention a few.
It is worthy to note that since its founding about 418 years ago, Wukari has
produced twenty 24 Aku Ukas from the two established Jukun ruling dynasties of Bama and Bagya (Kuvyon).
14. We have gone a
great length to tell you the story of Wukari because of its rich history and
centre of Kwararafa civilization and its cosmopolitan nature today,
accommodating all manners of people, irrespective of tribe and religion.
15. Before the
recent unfortunate crises that engulfed Wukari, which later spread to other
parts of the local government area, it is a well known fact that non-indigenes
have made it their home and have been living peacefully and engaging in their
legitimate businesses without let or hindrances.
16. It is also on
record that some government workers posted to Wukari have made this area their
permanent home after retirement, while others have to resign their appointments
because they don’t want to be posted out of Wukari which they regard as home
from home.
EXTERNAL
FORCES AND ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CRISIS
17. However, the
recent ethno-religious crises, which saw brothers and sisters carrying arms
against each other have affected to a large extent the peaceful atmosphere in
the town.
18. The destruction
done to lives and property is unimaginable and difficult to comprehend, particularly,
when considering that these are people who have not only lived together since
time immemorial, they have also inter-married across tribes and religious
divides.
19. It is observed that the protracted conflicts
between Christians and Muslims in Wukari may after all, have an external
dimension.
20. Having failed to
break this unity through different subtle measures, these powerful external forces
are resorting to playing one group against the other by introducing religion.
For example, there is this phantom claim that the Muslims are in majority in the
town. In addition to this vexatious and totally false claim, the Hausa/Fulani Muslims
in Wukari suddenly woke up one morning and made a wild claim of being founders
of Wukari which they publicised through paid advertisements in some National
Dailies. This no doubt precipitated the February 23 and May 3, 2013 crises in
Wukari. And then the subsequent ones dated as follows: 15th April,
2014; 15th June, 2014; 23rd September, 2014; 24th
September, 2014; 8th November, 2014; and the eighth one which
occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2015.
21. In addition to
this gross distortion of historical fact, the Muslims went a step further to
prevent the Jukun owners of Wukari from performing their traditional rites,
such as funeral ceremony of traditional title holders. This is seen as a
deliberate act of provocation to desecrate and destroy the time-honoured Jukun
tradition and culture. This action complicated the already volatile situation
in Wukari, especially between the Jukun traditional religious followers and
Muslims, who are mostly Hausa/Fulani.
22. It is surprising
that even some misguided Jukun Muslim converts, in concert with the
Hausa/Fulani want to impose Islam on the rest of the Jukun. But the question to
ask, don’t we have the right to practice our religion the way we want it?
23. In Taraba State,
the Jukun are also victims of Hausa/Fulani aggression just as the people of
Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Southern Kaduna have experienced similar
aggression from the same Hausa/Fulani group. As a matter of fact a large swathe
of the Middle Belt have over the last three decades or so been subjected to
constant attacks by the Hausa/Fulani in their inordinate ambition to either
control or displace the minority groups in the North, something which their
fore bearers failed to achieve during the 19th century Sokoto Jihad.
COLONIZATION
OF JUKUN LAND
24. Interestingly, the Jukun are now bearing
the brunt because the Middle Belt has excellent vegetation, fertile land and
abundant water which are conducive for agricultural production and cattle
rearing. Therefore, the Fulanis, in particular are targeting Wukari as part of
their grand design to dispossess the Jukun of the centre of their civilization
and other areas belonging to the kingdom. Today, the Fulanis appear to adopt a
subtle means when brute force fails.
25. Now, let us call
a spade a spade. In the late 19th century when the Fulani jihadists
could not conquer the Jukun, they resorted to selling off the Jukun land to the
British by means of secret treaties. For example, in 1885 and 1886 the Sultan
of Sokoto at that time and the Emir of Gwandu who claimed they owned the whole
of the Jukun country, entered into secret treaties with Joseph Thomson, a
representative of the National African Company and ceded it to the Company. These
Fulani leaders for dubiously ceding these areas, were paid yearly present of
goods to the value of 3,000 and 2,000 bags of cowries respectively.
26. Few months after
the sale agreements were signed, the Company published a notification in the London
Gazette that a protectorate had been established over the Niger
districts which included “the territories
on both banks of the Niger from its confluence with river Benue at Lokoja to
the sea, as territories on both banks of the river Benue from the confluence up
to and including Ibi.”
27. Surprisingly,
the above transactions were fraudulently entered into without the knowledge of
the paramount rulers of the great Jukun Kingdom, which it must be remembered
was never conquered by the Fulanis.
IS
HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF?
28. Today, history
appears to be repeating itself. Just out of the blues in an effort to “sell”
the Jukun land again, a document containing a proposal for creating 33 grazing
reserves exclusively for the Fulani herdsmen surfaced in Taraba State
29. The proposed
grazing reserves in question which will likely be imposed on the people of Taraba State include the
followings:
1. Wukari has
7 areas covering 241 square
kilometers
2. K/Lamido has 4 areas covering 82 square kilometers
3. Bali has 3 areas covering -
-
4. Gassol has
4 areas covering 153 square
kilometers
5. Jalingo has
1 area covering 20 square
kilometers
6. Yorro has
3 areas covering 35 square kilometers
7. Lau has 2 areas covering 16 square kilometers
8. Zing has 2 areas covering 39 square kilometers
9. Takum has
2 areas covering 175 square
kilometers
10.Kurmi has 1 area covering --
11.
Ardo Kola has 4 areas covering 199
square kilometers
Total 33 785
square kilometers
30. Perhaps as a follow up to what the leaders
of the Sokoto Caliphate did, it would seem that during the Gongola State days
before its division into Adamawa and Taraba States, there were only 11 gazetted
grazing reserves (two out of them) are located in what is present day Taraba
Southern Senatorial District, namely: Jibu (Wukari) and Gankwe – Assen (Donga).
31. Legal as the
1986 and 1987 gazzetted grazing reserves mentioned above might have been,
procedures for acquiring them were not followed at all as stipulated in the
Land Use Act, (1978) because neither the consent nor the preliminary enquiries of
the chairmen of the local governments nor traditional rulers of the affected
areas were sought and received. This is nothing but injustice by the powers
that be in the then Gongola
State
32. By and large, we
are convinced that the cattle Fulani must have been misinformed about the
so-called proposed grazing reserves, hence they have been terrorizing the
people of the areas and thus creating crisis situations since 2013. The areas (Riti,
Rafin Kada, Mahanga, Sondi, Arufu, Tunari, and Gidan Idi, all in Wukari
LGA), have now become the epicenters of the Fulani aggression. This is seen as
their grand design to dispossess us of our land. In this process, as we address
you today, our people have been forced out their ancestral lands by the
well-armed Fulani herders and their mercenaries. No wonder, the conflict has
persisted, despite efforts by Federal, State and Local Governments to restore
peace and normalcy in the affected areas, without which there can be no
development.
CATTLE RUSTLING
33. Accusations have
been severally leveled against the Jukun by the leadership (Miyyetti Allah
Association of Nigeria) of the Fulani herdsmen for being behind series of
cattle rustling in Taraba State. This is indeed preposterous. The Jukun are largely
farmers and fishermen and cattle rustling have never been part of their
culture. Rather, it is the pastoral Fulani themselves that have the skill and
have been known to steal from among themselves all this while. Abundant and
unassailable proofs abound throughout the country today.
34. In retaliation
to the usually false claim of cattle rustling by the Jukun, the Fulani herdsmen
(the Borrorojes) have attacked, and killed or maimed thousands of innocent
farmers in the Middle Belt States of Plateau, Nassarawa, Benue and Taraba and
destroying their villages, their livelihood and displaced them from their
ancestral homes.
35. Furthermore, it should be noted, cattle
rustling, has also assumed international dimension. Cases of foreigners who are
adept in stealing cows in Nigeria
36. As it is
becoming clearer, the activities of some lawless bush Fulani herdsmen are the
source of violent crisis we are experiencing in several States of Nigeria
today. A recent example will suffice. This is the bitter and horrendous
experience a nationally respected figure, Chief Olu Falae had in the hands of
some Fulani herdsmen when he protested encroachment into his farm in Ondo State ISIS and al-Shabab!
37. By and large, we
strongly believe that the raging violent conflicts in Taraba Southern
Senatorial Districts have not abated because it is part of the expansionist agenda
of the Fulanis to subjugate, displace them and take over and monopolize places,
especially the Jukun land that do not belong to them. Land is an integral part of
a people’s culture and source of livelihood of all societies. We will therefore
not allow agents of destabilization to cause disunity among the various
ethno-religious groups in our dear State. We have co- existed harmoniously with
some Fulani pastoralists over the years. However, any sudden appearance of
proposed grazing reserves in our areas will certainly deal a deadly blow to
this good and peaceful co-existence between our people and some of the Fulanis.
38. It should
therefore be clearly made known that the people of Taraba Southern Senatorial
District can no longer fold their hands and see their land being arbitrarily
allocated to the Fulani herdsmen in the guise of providing grazing reserves
without following due processes and ensuring equity, fair play and justice to
traditional land owners as provided by the law. Even if due processes are
followed, it would amount to robbing Peter to pay Paul, because the Jukun are not
pastoralists but farmers and fishermen, who should have their land preserved
for our kind of agricultural activities.
39. We therefore
appeal to the Taraba State Government to investigate how these so-called
proposed grazing reserves came about without following due processes of
obtaining the consents of the traditional rulers or the local government
councils.
40. The so-called
proposed 33 grazing reserves in Taraba State, no doubt portends serious danger
in the State. It should be nibbed in the bud before it sets the State on fire. Taraba State
CONCLUSION
41. Gentlemen of the
Press from the foregoing, it will be seen that the hitherto good relationship
between the Muslims and Christians in Wukari state is now under threat. This
threat is largely caused, as earlier pointed out, by two spurious claims by
Hausa/Fulani Muslims in Wukari: One, that they are in majority. Two, that they
founded Wukari town. Therefore, it is not true that the recent crisis which
occurred on Sunday, November 8, 2015 in Wukari was as a result of the
Governorship Election Petition Tribunal’s ruling. On the contrary, it is the continuation
of the series of ethno-religious misunderstanding which started since 2013 between
Christians and Jukun traditionalists on the one hand, and Muslims on the other.
It seems there are forces (internal and external), who are abusing Jukun
legendary hospitality.
42. However, we must
emphasize in strong terms that as welcoming as we are, we would never allow
outsiders to impose themselves on us and to undermine our rich culture and
tradition which is the source of our identity and pride. The Jukun will
continue to open their doors to all people irrespective of their ethnic,
religious or political background. What we will not sacrifice is our land,
source of livelihood, independence, freedom and culture bequeathed to us by our
ancestors.
Thank you.
Signed
Rev. Fr. Anthony
Bature, Ph.D
FOR: JUKUN PROGRESSIVE
FORUM
WUKARI, TARABA STATE
9th
December, 2015.
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