Communal and Ethnic Conflicts in Nigeria: The Case of the 1999 Sagamu Yoruba-Hausa Clash

Abstract

The Yoruba and the Hausas are among the largest ethnic groups in Nigeria. While the Hausas live in the north of the country, the Yoruba dwell in the south western part. Trade in cattle and kola nut brought many Hausas to settle in the Remo-Yoruba town of Sagamu. Over the years, an harmonious relationship developed between the two groups until the conflict of July 1999. That conflict brought about far reaching impact not only on the town of Sagamu but also on the hitherto existing peaceful relationship between the two ethnic groups. This paper is an historical analysis of the Hausa/Yoruba conflict. Unlike previous studies on the subject of conflict and ethnicity, this paper brings out the central importance of culture in the interrelationship between two ethnic groups living in a country. It shows that the failure to respect the culture of one ethnic group by the other was the root cause of the Yoruba/Hausa conflict.

Keywords: Nigeria, Ethnic, Conflict, Hausa, Yoruba

LWATI: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 9(1), 145-157, 2012