By Chom Bagu
The two bomb explosions in Jos’s central market have rudely interrupted the relative peace enjoyed in the city for the past two years. However, this attack will not deter the ongoing efforts to consolidate peace across Plateau state and the Middlebelt region of Nigeria. The show of support from all Nigerians following these attacks demonstrate the will – Christians and Muslims –to overcome these challenges, and the importance of consolidating peace in the country.
Search for Common Ground and a number of other civil society organizations have worked together with community, traditional, religious, women, and youth leaders as well as state and local government officials to build peace through community dialogues, mediation, conflict resolution trainings, and an early warning process. For the past two years, the city of Jos has experienced calm, which is a tribute to its citizens’ commitment to peace. As a result of the relative peace, several segregated communities have been opened up, reprisal attacks reduced to the very minimum and historically marginalized groups like the Hausas and Fulani Muslims have been integrated into governance institutions.
Local media reports that the first car bomb exploded around 3:00pm at the busy Ahmadu Bello Way in Terminus market. A second bomb exploded 20 minutes later close to the old University of Jos Teaching Hospital (JUTH). French news agency, Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted an official of the government-funded National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) saying that the two blasts left at least 118 persons dead, injured several others, and left residents confused and scampering for safety.
Alhough no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the pattern of the blasts is similar to those carried out by the terrorist group, Boko Haram in the past several weeks. The group, which is currently holding over 200 school girls as hostages, detonated two bombs last month in the busy Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja killing dozens of persons and wounding others. The same twin bombs were also exploded in Kano three days ago with the same devastating outcomes.
The blasts in Jos have the potential to reignite tension and refuel animosity between the different religious and ethnic groups in the city at a time when so much cooperation between the people had been achieved. A security official reported to Search for Common Ground that yesterday, Tuesday evening, some youth attacked motorists and traders after the blasts in areas that have experienced previous inter-communal tensions. The police however quickly intervened to halt reprisal attacks, and the Special Task Force has deployed across the city to deter any further agitations. The Plateau State Police Commissioner, Chris Olakpe, spoke on a Radio news program this morning Rhythm 93.7 and said the police have cordoned off the market area and encouraged the residents of Jos to avoid crowded areas. He advised that resident should report suspicious persons and things to the police.
Search for Common Ground urges everyone to remain calm, follow the directives of security agencies, and remain focused on maintaining the peace that we have all worked so hard to build. This terrible attack should not divide us, but rather, serve to strengthen our resolve to live together in peace. We invite all Nigerians and the global community to show their solidarity with the people of Jos and faith in a brighter future on social media using the hashtag #plateauwillarise! and by supporting one another in these trying times.
Jos will remain a target of Boko Haram attacks because it has historically been at the center of tension between Muslim and Christian communities in Northern Nigeria, and was the home base of the Middle Belt/northern Minority agitation for autonomy during colonial rule and Nigeria’s First Republic. Although antagonism was reduced when Plateau state was created as a federating unit of the Nigeria Federation in 1976, grievances built up following 1999, and led to the cycle inter-communal violence and the painful era that is drawing to a close. .
The work to rebuild peace in Jos and across Plateau state continues. Search for Common Ground and its partners under funded by the United States’ State Department and the European Union, is working hard to build a cadre of peacebuilders with conflict transformation trainings and supports conflict resolution processes in eight local government areas of Plateau state, the neighboring states of Bauchi and Niger States. The Voices of Peace radio program is already airing messages twice daily from government and security authorities calling for calm. Also airing weekly is “Our Children Are Talking” radio drama which focuses on the impacts of conflict on children and youth. Search for Common Ground also operates a participatory Early Warning System that collects information on tensions, rumors, and violent incidents and shares reports with security and civil society groups.
For more information visit plateauwillarise.org
Chom Bagu
Country Director, Search for Common Ground
