THE current activities of the dreaded Boko Haram sect could trigger a broad sectarian conflict in Nigeria, an international Christian-Muslim delegation said on Wednesday in a report.

The 12-member joint delegation was led by World Council of Churches (WCC) General Secretary, Olav Fyske Tveit, of Norway and Jordanian Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, chairman of the board of the Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought.

“There is a possibility that the current tension and conflict might become subsumed by its religious dimension, especially along geographical 'religious fault-lines," the delegation said in its report, warning that blaming only religion for the strife would make that incomplete view "a self-fulfilling prediction".

The delegation, while tracing the causes of the crisis, stated in the report that clashes between Nigerian Christians and Muslims had led to the death of hundreds of people this year alone. “But although the violence is the worst between members of the two faiths since the Bosnian war of 1992-1995, the root causes go far beyond religion.

“Corruption, mismanagement, land disputes and the lack of aid for victims or punishment for troublemakers as fuel for tension, especially in Nigeria's "Middle Belt", where the mostly Muslim North meets the largely Christian South,” the group's report said.

The report identified dozens of separate problems whose resolution could contribute to overall peace.

“The wealth gap between the oil-producing states in the South and the resource-poor North was a leading factor in regional tensions, as were land disputes, such as the lack of recognised grazing land for nomadic Fulani cattle herders.

“Indigenous inhabitants in many Nigerian states enjoy more legal rights than "settlers," who have no access to free health care, education, land and jobs even though some of them moved into those areas generations ago.

"It is an enormous problem that needs to be solved or resolved at the federal and constitution levels, perhaps with a constitutional clarification or amendment," the report said.

It added that tensions arose because Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian southerner, served out the presidential term of northern Muslim Umar Yar'Adua after the latter's death in 2010, then won election in 2011. Some northerners said this broke a power-sharing agreement between the North and the South.

But the report pinpointed the role religion played in fuelling the violence.

"In Nigeria, three things are intertwined — religion, politics and ethnicity — and the three are beclouded with corruption, poverty and insecurity," the report quoted former Justice Minister,  Bola Ajibola, one of several Nigerian officials who accompanied the delegation, as saying.

“Religious leaders on both sides have publicly condoned the violence,” it said, and “well-funded missionaries for both Islam and Christianity have also fanned tensions.”

The Geneva-based WCC and the Jordanian institute announced they would jointly publish books for Nigerian schools, explaining the theology of peace in both religions and draw up a manifesto on interfaith cooperation for Nigerians to sign.

They also said they would seek partners to launch a neutral centre to collect accurate information on the conflict to help find a settlement.

The joint delegation, which met government officials and faith leaders in the strife-torn Kaduna and Plateau states and in Abuja from May 22 to 25, said it wanted to show how Muslims and Christians could work together to foster peace.

"The crisis in Nigeria must no longer be seen as a localised issue," the report said in its conclusion.

Meanwhile, a mother and her four children were reportedly killed on Wednesday in Yong village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, following an attack launched by gunmen.

Nigerian Tribune  learnt that the deceased were on their farm working when they were attacked.

The mother, her son and three daughters were said to have died instantly while the fifth victim, a girl, died after she was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

The incident, it was gathered, caused serious pandemonium among residents of the area.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Mohammed Ladan, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, however said that only four people were killed while the other person sustained injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Wednesday’s attack was the third in one week in the area.

Speaking to newsmen, the father of the victims, Mr Luke Jumtuk said his wife and children were killed while working on their farm.

Jumtuk, who described the incident as unfortunate, added that unless the Federal Government intervened on the recurrent attacks in the area, innocent lives would continue to be lost.

Comments (14)

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written by balewa bayero bello, July 12, 2012

Nowhere does the report say or suggest religious war is immanent or likely. Rather it concludes that religious tensions might increase if the problem is misperceived and simplified. That unfortunately is what the editors of this article with blatantly lying in the title of this article and sensationalizing it. The report is available at www.acommonword.com ----see for yourselves. The editors of this article should reprimanded not just for their inaccuracy but for being willing to stoke religious violence fears just to sell newspapers. Shame on them!

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Likely hood of war
written by Benjamin Y K, July 12, 2012

As long as God is in controll there will be no war.most of us Christian

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Southern Nigeria and Northern Nigeria is the solution as it was at Pre-amalgamation
written by Gaskia, July 12, 2012

The solution is Okar's map. Middle belt goes with the south because they bear cultural similarities with the south. The earlier the better because it is imminent. If not it will be by war- religious or ethnic. Given non-Orkar's Nigeria there can never be good governance, and if any comes up it will be once in a blue moon, in Nigeria. Our foundation is flawed so the house will eventually collapse. A word is enough for the wise. Lets part ways jeje.

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Shame on BH and their sponsors
written by maktu, July 12, 2012

the war must surly come with God (Jesus Christ) leading until the heathens are brought to their knees and come to the realization of the supremacy of God. what happened to Nebuchadnezzar would soon happen to some people. just continue your inhuman and ungodly activities, time will catch up with u. For God does not fear any one, whether you ar an immam, ex-president or a great sponsor of BH time shall tell. God is on the throne and the prophesy delivered through his servants must definitely come to pass. When a christian is killed, he gets to a better place than the rotten Nigeria, d/4 fighting for this country will only turn you to a mere rotten compost

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written by francis cole, July 12, 2012

Its right time now for south tobe one and unite. We must fight these animals who call them selfs born to rule. This is religious and polical war. They have been nursing this for a long time. They have already possition them selfs every where in all goverment estsblishments. They want Islamized Nigeria by all means. They are following their forefathers foot steps. God is surelly behind the south. We can not continue to keep quiet and looking them killing innocent people. I beleived War is imminent. Is either we seperate peacefully or War. Thats what they want and south can never ever run away from them. North is full of bunch of evil doers. We can never ever be one again. Its time we stop to deceive our selfs. North really mean it and we go give them back what they want. They just want to enslave south. They want tobe incharge of every thing. The killing is too much to bear. Now, they have started their propagandas, telling lies against the christians. Mr president tge country is on real fire, this is the time to call for SNC. I want CAN to contact UN and other bodys too. Our only option is seperation beside this no way. Let get our selfs out of mallam bondage.

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written by nazek, July 12, 2012

BY WAR OR BY PEACE,LET THE NORTH GO AND LET THE SOUTH GO.IF POSSIBLE,LET US GO BY OUR TRIBES.IT IS BETTER TO BE FAR THAN TO BE NEAR TO DEATH.NIGERIA HAS NOT BEEN ONE BUT THE GREEDY BRITISH FORCED US TOGETHER WHICH HAS BEEN REGRETTED BY EVERY BODY AS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED BY THE NORTH.From 1966 till date,the north has been showing that they are not ready for one Nigeria.NOW,IT MUST BE KNOWN TO ALL THAT ISLAM CANNOT BE THE ONLY RELIGION IN NIGERIA.NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS AND WE MUST FIGHT IT FOR EVER.IT IS BETTER THAT NIGERIA DOES NOT EXIST THAN TO SAY THAT ISLAM IS THE ONLY RELIGION IN THIS COUNTRY.TO HELL WITH THIS STUPID SO CALLED CO-EXISTENCE WITH BLOOD THIRST PEOPLE.DIVISION MUST BE PREACHED NOW.SOUTH GO AND LET THE NORTH GO PLEASE.THE KILLING IS TOO MANY AND TOO PAINFUL.

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written by Waheed Seriki, July 12, 2012

The federal government is loosing control in the Northern part of the country. If care is not taken there may not be country call Nigeria in the next year. The Boko Haram and the terrorist group have seen that the present government is weak and they are taken advante of the situation to inflict, maim and kill innocent citizen. What ever the motive of these group, they are criminals and they need to be eliminated in Nigeria. the government should face the challenge and establish peace and stability in the country

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written by Mandapa, July 12, 2012

Give book haram their country and their Islamic agenda in order for peace to reign in the proper Nigeria.

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The WCC is biased on this report
written by Forfaka, July 12, 2012

The Secretary Gerneral of WCC,Mr.Olav Fyske Tviet and his
Saudi Arbian Wahabi paid agents should stay out of Nigeria
and stop spreading lies and propagands against docile and
accomodating Nigerian Chrsitian Community.There is yet no
religious war in Nigeria because we Christians have opted
to turning our other checks to the muslims and indeed for
decades.
How many of those indicted by a Penal Chaired by Justice
Ajibola have been prosecuted for mass murder of innocent
children,women and mem whose only crimes were that they
were Christians?What can in God's name justify the massacre
depicted in the following internet links below;
www.anglicandioceseofjos.org/dogo.html
The Hausa/Fulani muslims have been in the business of
subjecting their Christians compatriots to cold blooded
mass murders whenever they liked since 1922.In 1966 such
mass murder of Christians culminated into a blood civil
war and genocide against ethnic Igbos.

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I am in support of War
written by tamani, July 12, 2012

I am in support of war if it will end this rubbish.

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written by tamani, July 12, 2012

The Rubbish called Boko Nonsense. All muslims are happy cause the idiots are doing what the Quran says. I want you the muslims who is reading this text to go and read what happen to the Muslims in Croatia and Bosnia. It all started like this. Killing people in the name of Allah.

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THE MAN WHO SAW TOMORROW.
written by Ifymo, July 12, 2012

The late Chief Ikemba of Nnewi saw this problem about 46 years ago, and my father supported him, Ikemba . But many did not support Ikemba and my father, because some people does not think about future generation. Today, both my father and Ikemba are LATE. I think separation is LATE also. Let us think about peace.

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written by nasiru, July 12, 2012

The comments by tamani just shows how uneducated, unintelligent and backward you are. It is very obvious that you do not read widely otherwise you won't write such comments without getting your facts right. I feel very sad anytime I read comments posted online by youths who are supposed to be the vanguards of peace and future leaders of this country. The comments are usually offensive, instigating, poorly articulated and above all lacked reasoning. Going by the comments I read everyday online, it is sad to say that this country is doomed because the calibre of youths we have today are those without any focus or sense of direction. As for 'Tamani's' clamour for war, I would advice you to seek audience with a Liberian, Sierra Leonian or better still anyone who had survived the horrors of war. I assure that you would become an advocate of peace after hearing their stories. "There is nothing more cherished as peace"!!!

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Could you shed some light into the results of your investigation into the root cause of religious conflict in Nigeria
written by ash adi, October 09, 2012

if you want to know some review about this topic so check out this link:

http://pollkhol.net/could-you-shed-some-light-into-the-results-of-your-investigation-into-the-root-cause-of-religious-conflict-in-nigeria/

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