By Philip Ostien. Muslim-Christian Relations in Africa, 2009.
Ethnicity and religion have often been identified as the flashpoints that spark Nigeria’s recurring communal conflicts, such as those in Jos. More commonly, politics is a primary driver and patronage the key to recruitment among the groups involved in the fighting. Clashes arise following disputes over districting and elections in Local Government Areas, the leadership of which decide land ownership, control social services and dispense “certificates of indigeneship” that define the application of many constitutional rights.
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