Plateau Muslims Mark Annual Memorial for 4,700 Victims of Sectarian Crises

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

Muslim leaders in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday observed the 17th annual prayer in remembrance of more than 4,700 members of the community who lost their lives in a series of crises across the state over the past two decades.

The commemoration, held every 28 November at the Jos Central Mosque, began with Qur’an recitations in honour of victims of the 2008 post-election violence, which claimed hundreds of lives and deepened long-standing tensions in the state.

Reflecting on years of recurrent unrest, the community noted that violent outbreaks dating back to 2001 have devastated several local government areas. Yawale Muhammad, National President of the Jasawa Community Development Association, said their records indicate that thousands of Muslims were killed in repeated clashes in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010 and other years.

He recalled that more than 700 Muslims were killed in the 2001 crisis, several hundred in the 2002 Eto Baba attack, and at least 700 in the 2004 Yelwa–Shendam violence. The 2008 post-election unrest added over 1,000 deaths, while the 2010 attacks in communities including Dutse Uku, Gero and Kuru Jenta claimed more than 2,000 lives. Further tragedies occurred in 2011 at the Rukuba Road Eid ground and again in 2021 during an attack on Muslim travellers. Altogether, the association’s records list more than 4,700 deaths, with many victims buried in mass cemeteries across the state.

Community leader Shehu Masalla described 28 November as a solemn day of collective grief for lost lives and destroyed property. Leading the prayers, Malam Hamisu Umaru called for sustained supplication for lasting peace, stressing that no society can progress without harmony among its diverse people.