Community Conflicts and the Politics of Creating New Districts and Chiefdoms in Bauchi State

Abstract

The history of community conflicts in Bauchi state reached its climax in 1991 when the major uprising by the Sayawa minority tribe occurred in the Tafawa Balewa local government area. The inability of the Bauchi state government to implement most of the recommendations of various investigation committees led to periodic outbreaks of lawlessness in the area between 1995 and 2012. Recently, Governor Isa Yuguda approved the recommendation for the creation of new districts and Sayawa chiefdom in the state. He also approved the relocation of the Tafawa Balewa local government headquarters to Bununu town as a temporary peace arrangement. However, the location of the chiefdom headquarters in Bogoro local government area did not resolve the dispute over the ownership of Tafawa Balewa town, between the Sayawa and Hausa/Fulani tribes. In order to resolve the problem and restore permanent peace in the area, the government should address the question of the ownership of Tafawa Balewa town through the appointment and posting of a ruler, return of the local government headquarters to its original place and pursue vigorously the process of resettling all the displaced people in line with constitutional provisions.