I don't understand why people always make it  a religion issue. This is what they want you to believe. The last time that this happened, people in Jos said a fake army was deployed and used to kill more people.  In order for a fake army to be deployed that takes money, training and power. Which tells you that someone powerful is behind this. This is purely political and  nothing more.

And like someone else has said before, what happened to the previous perpetrators? Nothing, they were not punished, arrested, so of course when someone pays them little money to  do this again they will gladly go, because nothing will happen to them. There is no law,  I promise you that if the  government catches  the perpetrators and puts them in front of a firing squad, this will not be happening the next time.

For all those that keeps screaming divide Nigeria. First of all , someone explain to me how it will make the east better?  Will it suddenly make the corrupt governors fix their roads, provide jobs? Is that the magic bullet to solve the East's problem. Please tell me what will be different?

Secondly, have you looked at the map of Nigeria, we are all surrounded by Hausa states ( which was done on purpose). So how exactly will you divide Nigeria?

@tolupo let me tell you, first and foremost your life is more more important than NYSC. Going to serve in gombe state where the hausa illiterates like to target corp members and students and students at such a time is like suicide. If you cannot redeploy then defer your service.

There is one thing that I find amusing, given all these comments.
Let's say the Middle Belters say they've had enough, and want to move down south. Can anyone tell me which tribe will whole-heartedly accept them?

mubaraqqq:

For all those that keeps screaming divide Nigeria. First of all , someone explain to me how it will make the east better?  Will it suddenly make the corrupt governors fix their roads, provide jobs? Is that the magic bullet to solve the East's problem. Please tell me what will be different?

Think for your state or region. Why focus on the east, once divided how they live their life is nolonger your biz. If they like let them kill themselves which you will be happy of. But Nigerian must remain one until 3 million die from Middle belt, South west, North. Una never see sometin this is just the beggining.

mubaraqqq:

For all those that keeps screaming divide Nigeria. First of all , someone explain to me how it will make the east better?  Will it suddenly make the corrupt governors fix their roads, provide jobs? Is that the magic bullet to solve the East's problem. Please tell me what will be different?
Secondly, have you looked at the map of Nigeria, we are all surrounded by Hausa states ( which was done on purpose). So how exactly will you divide Nigeria?

How are we surrounded by Hausa states? Who are the We?
About development when the East breaks out , let the East break out first before you can judge. I prefer to be killed by a person I know and have offended, than by a foreigner that simply wants to show that he owns me by killing me when I least expect, for no reason.

mubaraqqq:

I don't understand why people always make it  a religion issue. This is what they want you to believe. The last time that this happened, people in Jos said a fake army was deployed and used to kill more people.  In order for a fake army to be deployed that takes money, training and power. Which tells you that someone powerful is behind this. This is purely political and  nothing more.

And like someone else has said before, what happened to the previous perpetrators? Nothing, they were not punished, arrested, so of course when someone pays them little money to  do this again they will gladly go, because nothing will happen to them. There is no law,  I promise you that if the  government catches  the perpetrators and puts them in front of a firing squad, this will not be happening the next time.

For all those that keeps screaming divide Nigeria. First of all , someone explain to me how it will make the east better?  Will it suddenly make the corrupt governors fix their roads, provide jobs? Is that the magic bullet to solve the East's problem. Please tell me what will be different?

Secondly, have you looked at the map of Nigeria, we are all surrounded by Hausa states ( which was done on purpose). So how exactly will you divide Nigeria?

Which planet do you live on?

Of course it is a religious issue. Fanatical Muslims cannot live at peace with anyone, not even themselves, see how the Shiates massacre the Sunni in Iraq and Pakistan and how the Sunni retaliate in kind.

I am sorry but wherever I look be it Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, Pakistan etc etc its always total bloodshed, hate and more hate.

The world is in the middle of a Jihad crisis

AjanleKoko:

There is one thing that I find amusing, given all these comments.
Let's say the Middle Belters say they've had enough, and want to move down south. Can anyone tell me which tribe will whole-heartedly accept them?

In all honesty, we are better off accepting all non-sharia comers from the North. In so many ways, the North -  South divide is artificial anyway.
Southerners have a lot more in common with the Middle Belt than the sharia North.

edoyad:

@tolupo let me tell you, first and foremost your life is more more important than NYSC. Going to serve in gombe state where the hausa illiterates like to target corp members and students and students at such a time is like suicide. If you cannot redeploy then defer your service.

In a way I agree.

Many years ago I narrowly escaped death in Kano after our NYSC orientation in Gumel. It was like total death, the first time the Igbos fought back and many hausas were also killed.

I came close to a hairs breadth of bows and arrows, axes and petrol. It was God who saved us corpers as we were all in a bus and the driver was pressuRed into accelerating.

I remember how we all stayed at Bukavu baracks like Refugees till the whole incident simmered down.

Too bad.

@Mubaraqq
I'm not wont to engage in any quasi-religious debates that could very well degenerate into simple insults at an awfulfully short time. It would be however wiser for you to note that the current strenght of affiliation betwixt nigerians now lies in the religion primarily, and ethnicity makes for a secondary feeling of bond.
When a people who feel they are one in a certain fundamental respect (religion in this case) are grouped together, there is a higher prospect for development than when they are constantly derailed by their differences. The "Muslim North" and the "Christian South" are pretty well exhibiting these repellations to the overall detriment of the country.
All i'm saying is a Southern Nigeria and a seperate Northern Nigeria seem probable of developing faster along their chosen economical frontiers this joint simulation of a country we spend our time patching at several seering chasms!

Tolulop001:

PLS I WAS POSTED TO GOMBE STATE FOR NYSC
was gonna fly to Jos and take a bus from there to Gombe,
is this a sensible move at this rate? i dont know anyone in jos,

My advice is pray to God for his protection, try and redeploy elsewhere but if not possible then BEFORE you go make sure :

1. You know exactly where you will be posted and make sure it is not in the fault line of the religious crisis

2. That security has resumed to normal and no possible future episodes will recur

3. You make friends with the southerners and indigenes just in case you need help in the event of any further problems

4. But most important of all is that it is GOD who protects his children and watches over them, so again I say Pray and trust in God.

@beaf nice speech but the middle belt will exist as It's own entity if need be. There's no need for the country to break in few parts, why doesn't every nation discover itself ?
@amarilo you truly are ignorant and laughable. Do you know how many igbos presently live and operate businesses in states with hausa majority ? Do you know how many of your brothers and sisters live in Kano and Katsina as we speak ? If There's a slaughtering before a split i assure you the igbos will suffer the most loss with hausa people.

again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

edoyad:

@beaf nice speech but the middle belt will exist as It's own entity if need be. There's no need for the country to break in few parts, why doesn't every nation discover itself ?
@amarilo you truly are ignorant and laughable. Do you know how many igbos presently live and operate businesses in states with hausa majority ? Do you know how many of your brothers and sisters live in Kano and Katsina as we speak ? If There's a slaughtering before a split i assure you the igbos will suffer the most loss with hausa people.

Edoyad, Please give me 1 reason why Nigeria needs to remain as one?

Why do you think that there must be War/massacre if Nigeria is dividing?[i][/i]

Are there no Northerners in the East?

Do you think Igbos will fold their hands again and die in a naive manner without fighting back in the North?

Do you Sincerely think that  a few Igbos that are determined to fightback till death will not cause a huge casualty to the Northerners?

No one owns violence

These people need 2 b erracated

What if armed christians start kiling muslims down south, east and west, its alredy justified why the crusade must start

GOWON'S CHICKENS COMING HOME TO ROOST

Where is Gowon

Damn it why is it always on the Lord's Day?  

Time for me to go to the Vatican and ask them to help sponsor a Crusade against these unbelievers. The time for Holy War is at hand!!!

We need to drive these Muslim barbarians back to the Sahara!

It's with comments like this one that shows just how delusional and narrow-minded most Nigerians are today. And people, be serious, it isn't only due to the poor law enforcements that we get deadly clashes like this one in Jos; it is mainly due to religion (in general, not only the extremists) and tribalism.

edoyad:

@amarilo you truly are ignorant and laughable. Do you know how many igbos presently live and operate businesses in states with hausa majority ? Do you know how many of your brothers and sisters live in Kano and Katsina as we speak ? If There's a slaughtering before a split i assure you the igbos will suffer the most loss with hausa people.

Laughable dude. The war this time will be there in Kano, Sokoto and Middle Belt. Don't worry about Igbo men in the North. they are ready this time. No more moving back to east, we will fight and defeat them their or die their.

Did the Niger-Delta millitants give us this kinda worry b4 d Federal might fell on them? Because the oil wealth was at risk. It is now clear that nothing may be done to end this madness cos it does not pose a big, immediate, economic problem to the govt.

impeach jonah jang and jail him. he knows were the killers are.

slap1:

Did the Niger-Delta millitants give us this kinda worry b4 d Federal might fell on them? Because the oil wealth is at risk. It is now clear that nothing may be done to end this madness cos it does not pose a big, immediate, economic problem to the govt.

You are dead wrong. They FG can't do nothing cuz they are killing the people they want. When FG use to send millitary men to attack mossop which oil or economic activity was in danger. Turn the table around and see if the millitary will not join them in the killing spray.

@babaearly.
Now that would really make the newsmen go wild with ecstacy!

This is very sad

"most of the bodies appeared to be women and children killed by blows from machetes"

brought to you by the religion of peace.

allah be praised  

@ amarilo. I don't understand wot u mean.

When will the mobs enter Kanke Local Government Area. Gowon's LG?

That will be the happiest day of my life!

I read these comments in a feed back in punch newspaper and i think i agree wholeheartedly. "people think that shehu usman dan fodiyo has ended but it never did but took a new form. The rampaging fulani jihadist have gone neo-political and economic taking over towns and villages. Ojukwu saw it coming and confronted head on. Gowon was too much of a daft to figure what was happenin . He was simply a puppet in the jihadist to give the international world that it wasnt a religious war.
For those who care to reason JOS is already taken just like ZURU, GOMBE, BAUCHI SOUTH, MALUMFASHI, NASARAWA. Soon to be followed are TARABA, KADUNA SOUTH, MARKURDI ETC. Unreasoning leaders from the christian south like Godwin dabo , Gen danjuma, Jerry Useni ,Gowon and others will one day realise the evils they did to their Igbo brothers during 66 and 67 massacre. once again i reiterate , JOS IS TAKEN!!!!". I agree with this comment wholeheartedly.

Frog bell, if you don't have any reasonable things to say keep you hands off the posting, your statement that Islam is not a religion of peace is capable of triggering  another crisis stop insulting any religion. The problem in Jos is completely political which require right thinking people who understand the problems and not making any nasty statement that is capable of inflaming the already burning fire, aren't there Muslim living in southern Nigeria without any cause.

Islam is 'NOT' a religion of peace! Please shoot me!
I put my, albeit meaningless, reputation on the line with my assertion!

More than 200 dead in religious violence

JOS, Nigeria — Rioters armed with machetes slaughtered more than 200 people overnight Sunday as religious violence flared anew between Christians and Muslims in central Nigeria, witnesses said. Hundreds of people fled their homes, fearing reprisal attacks.

The bodies of the dead — including many women and children — lined dusty streets in three mostly Christian villages [/b]south of the regional capital of Jos, local journalists and a civil rights group said. They said at least 200 bodies had been counted by Sunday afternoon.

Torched homes smoldered after the 3 a.m. attacks that a region-wide curfew enforced by the country's police and military should have stopped.

The killings represent the latest religious violence in an area once known as Nigeria's top tourist destination, adding to the tally of thousands already killed in the last decade in the name of religious and political ambitions.

Jos lies in Nigeria's "middle belt," where dozens of ethnic groups mingle in a band of fertile and hotly contested land separating the Muslim north from the predominantly Christian south.

In Dogo Nahawa, a village three miles (five kilometers) south of Jos, residents said[b] the dead included a 4-day-old infant. Those who survived claimed their attackers shouted at them in Hausa and Fulani — two local languages used by Muslims.

A spokesman for Plateau state where Jos is located, Gregory Yenlong, said police were seeking to arrest Saleh Bayari, the regional leader of the Fulanis, because Bayari's comments incited the attack. He offered no other details.

But the chairman of the local Fulani organization denied that his people were involved in the attack.

Nigerian military units began surrounding the affected villages Sunday afternoon, said Red Cross spokesman Robin Waubo. It was not clear if the violence was still continuing.

Waubo said the agency did not know how many people may have died in the fighting but workers have been sent to local morgues and hospitals to check.

Jos has been under a dusk-til-dawn curfew enforced by the military since religious-based violence in January left more than 300 people dead — most of them Muslims. It was not clear how the attackers managed to elude the military curfew early Sunday.

"It appears to be reprisal attacks," Waubo said.

In a statement Sunday night, acting President Goodluck Jonathan said security agencies would be stationed along Plateau state's borders to keep outsiders from coming in with more weapons and fighters.

"(We will) undertake strategic initiatives to confront and defeat these roving bands of killers," the statement read. "While it is too early to state categorically what is responsible for this renewed wave of violence, we want to inform Nigerians that the security services are on top of the situation."

In nearby Bauchi state, more than 600 people fled to a makeshift camp that still held victims from January's violence, said Red Cross official Adamu Abubakar. He expected more to come, putting an even bigger strain on the already limited humanitarian aid for those fleeing the violence.

Jos has a history of communal violence that has made elections difficult to organize. Rioting in September 2001 killed more than 1,000 people and Muslim-Christian battles killed up to 700 people in 2004. More than 300 residents died during a similar uprising in 2008 and violence that began in January killed more than 300 people.

When religious violence takes place in Nigeria, it normally has roots in local issues, rather than being influenced by international extremist groups.

In Jos, Muslims have complained about being denied jobs and other benefits by the Christian-dominated government. However, many Muslims also operate shops and businesses in a nearby town where the tourist trade has dried up and the surrounding tin mines have been abandoned, stoking fears for Christians about retaliation from Muslim neighbors.

Associated Press Writer Bashir Adigun contributed to this report from Abuja, Nigeria. Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria.

to be honest,ethnicity is never the issue but religion but violence in the south is mostly attributed to territorial control.