How Christian, Muslim leaders saved lives during Jos #EndSARS violence

The recent ENDSARS protest in Jos did not only bring people together for one purpose but also led to both Christians and Muslims to sheath their sword and shield each other. This was evident when violence broke out and some members of both religion showed act of humanity by saving members of other religion from […]

The recent ENDSARS protest in Jos did not only bring people together for one purpose but also led to both Christians and Muslims to sheath their sword and shield each other.

This was evident when violence broke out and some members of both religion showed act of humanity by saving members of other religion from being attacked.

Since 2001, when the first ethno-religious crisis broke out in Jos, the Plateau State capital, many other crises have occurred across the state generally and thousands of lives and multi-million-naira worth of properties have been lost.

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This has led to intensified mistrust between Christians and Muslims majorly, and as well as other ethnic groups. It has also led to the division of the city (Jos), as people began to reside according to the religion they belong to.

Though the ethno-religious crises have largely subsided in Jos, especially in the past few years, yet there are pockets of strife once a while. The latest being the clashes which occurred as a result of the #EndSARS protest which became violent in Jos and also took a religious dimension.

One of the places the violence occurred more intensely was in Bukuru in Gyel District of Jos South, where there are sizable numbers of Christians and Muslims, and Berom and Hausa communities alike. It is widely known that any crisis in Jos which spreads to Bukuru would become full blown and intense. Hence, Bukuru became a flash point of crises in Jos.

But interestingly, the trend is changing. The bitterness and anger are decreasing. The friendliness and unity are tremendously returning and the togetherness the people of the area were known for before the crises began years back is becoming prevailing.

The clashes which broke out between the two major communities following the #EndSARS protest instantly turned violent. The situation became that of the supporters of the #EndSARS protesters and those against. But in its usual characteristics, the situation soon turned to an ethno-religious crisis. The surprise however this time was that Berom leaders (Christians) and Hausa leaders (Muslims) rescued and protected people of the other religions who were trapped within their areas at the time of the violence. As a result, over 25 lives were saved on both sides.

Those rescued from each community by the leaders were handed over to the police in Bukuru Division, while others were exchanged between leaders of both communities. This was unprecedented, and for sure, a new trend and pointer to the restoration of lasting peace in the communities.

Our correspondent who visited Bukuru community in Gyel District of Jos South observed the joyous mood of the people as a result of the unprecedented understanding among the people in the history of crises in the district.

Narrating their effort in rescuing the Muslim traders who trade in Christian dominated area when the crises took a religious dimension, the Gwon Lyon Gyel (Ward Head) Da Gyang Jatau Doji (Christian), said they immediately established a communication network in the area to ensure that any Muslim trapped in a Christian dominated area and has no way of escape should not be harmed, but rather protected and later handed over to either the police or relatives when the tension calms down.

The strategy, according to Doji, worked out as all the Muslims (mostly traders) trapped in Christian dominated areas during the crises were protected, hidden, fed and then later handed over to the police.

A case in point was that of a yam seller called Muhammadu Rilwanu who was trapped in Gyel when the crisis broke out. Doji said when he learnt that Rilwanu had been trapped in their community, he went and rescued him and kept him in a safe location and also fed him until the next day.

He said but for security reasons and so that some overzealous or disorderly youths will not come and look for Rilwanu in his house at night, he relocated him to a neighbour’s house, who was an Igbo man, and hid him in the boot of a car so that even if anyone comes after him at night, they would not find him in the room.

He also directed that all those trapped in his community be protected by the youth leader and handed over to the police without hurting them, explaining that the crisis broke out when some youths came out to challenge some #EndSARS protesters who blocked the Jos South Secretariat highway.

According to the Ward Head, any little conflict in the area is easily converted into religious crises even if it has no religious bases, saying that was exactly the fall out of the #EndSARS crisis.

“We have resolved not to take anyone’s life again during religious crises, especially anyone trapped in our community during crises. This is because it is not good to waste innocent blood and our Christian faith also condemns it, and on the last day you will stand before your creator to give account of your deeds on earth.

“In this #EndSARS crisis, we rescued and saved over 13 Muslims in our community and some were handed over to the police, while others to the Muslim communities. The Muslim leaders were so happy and told their wards what we have done, and many people have been calling as well as visiting to thank us.

“In the case of Rilwanu, we all know him because he comes to our community to sell his yam. When he was trapped on the day the crisis erupted, he was so terrified but I assured him to calm down, and that nothing will happen to him. We then took him and his wheelbarrow filled with yams to a safe location.

“We later moved him to another location, an Igbo man’s house, where we first hid him in the boot of a car so that some disobedient youths don’t come looking for him. The next morning, we gave him food and I then took him to the police at the Jos South local government secretariat junction.

“Rilwanu’s wheelbarrow and yams are still in the Igbo man’s place where we hid him. The Igbo man has indicated interest in buying the yams but Rilwanu told him to have them for free in appreciation of how he too contributed in saving his life. But we insisted that the yam should be paid for and his wheelbarrow returned,” he said.

Doji called for intensified understanding between both religions in order to halt the violent clashes in order to save lives and properties.

Our correspondent traced Rilwanu to Bukuru yam market to narrate his experience. He said when he was trapped in the Christian community, he became confused and was unknowingly heading towards harms way until some women came to his rescue.

“When I learnt that there was crisis, I started running aimlessly and blindly not knowing where to go, until some women stopped me and redirected me.

“Then the ward head was called and he came and took me to a safe location. The person who took me to his house first was the one who pushed my wheel barrow filled with yams because I was so afraid and shivering,” he said.

He thanked God for using the people to save his life, adding that he prays for the end of such crises or any form of crisis that will lead to loss of lives and properties.

On his part, the Youth Leader of Lyoh Gyel, Thoma Gyang Dung, said there were working hand-in-hand with the ward head, and that he rescued three Muslim female students who came to write exam at Nobel College.

According to Dung, the girls were afraid when he came to their rescue, but he told them to be calm, and assured them that nothing would happen to them.

He cautioned against the habit of converting any issue in the area and state in general to religious crisis, saying that the #EndSARS protest took place in many places across the country and not only in Plateau State.

Similarly, eight Christians – five women and three men, were rescued by Isah Adamu who sells phone opposite Nesco office in Bukuru. He said when the crisis started, he saw some people running helter-skelter, not knowing where to go, and he had to call them to his shop and locked them inside.

At the time he rescued them, some of them were actually being pursued by some Muslim youths wielding knives, sticks and other dangerous weapons.

Adamu said it was after the situation calmed down that he unlocked them and then directed them accordingly so that they would not run into the irate youths.

According to him, he doesn’t quite know them except for one whom he sometimes sees around his shop, and one Gloria Isaac, who sells phones too for Easy Buy by Maranatha in Bukuru.

He said what he did for them was in accordance with his Muslim faith which admonishes him to assist people who are in danger and in any form of difficulty, adding that as they were leaving, they thanked him for saving their lives. He also thanked them for believing in him to agree to take refuge in his shop because sometimes, some people claiming to help people rather trap them to be harmed.

He called for peaceful coexistence, saying that no one can live in isolation and that there would be no development without peace.

Meanwhile, our correspondent also traced Gloria Isaac and she said she was lucky to escape that day. She said the youths began by blocking the road and smashing cars (along First Bank area and Onigbinde in Bukuru) until they started coming towards the place where she sells phone, and people started locking their shops and running helter-skelter.

At that point, she said she became confused, looking for where to hide, before Adamu came to her rescue and that of seven others and hid them in his shop.

The ward head of Bukuru Central, Chindo Abdullahi, also rescued two Christians and handed them over to the Bukuru police division.

He said when the boys were trapped in the Muslim community, he took them to his friend’s house named Hassan Main Magaini, before later taking them to the police station where they were received and documented. He said the police thanked them for their effort and urged them to continue such gesture.

According to him, he is in constant contact with the Gyel Ward Head, adding that they normally meet with other ward heads every Tuesday to discuss how to improve not only the security situation of the area, but also how the area can be generally developed.