THISDAYonline

Reconciling the Hausa and Kataf communities in the Zangon-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State may remain an impossible task because the two warring groups each give virtually impossible conditions for peace and none is willing to concede any of its "legitimate" claims. When last Wednesday the Justice Chukwudifu Oputa Commission visited the area, Nigerians had thought that, after several years of recurrent hostilities, the commission would bring the two sides to embrace each other, signifying an end to the conflict. But, that never came to be and the commission had no other option than to invite leaders of the Hausa and the Kataf to Abuja, to dialogue at the commission's sitting.

In fact, protests had greeted the commission that Wednesday on arrival at Zonkwa, the headquarters of Zangon-Kataf Local Government Council. "We say no to buffer zone and layout in Zongon urban, we want self determination," were some of the inscriptions on the placards which a section of protesting youths in the area had carried. The "buffer Zone" refers to one of the suggestions by a panel set up by the Kaduna State Government in 1992 as a measure to ensure peace in the area. The panel had recommended that the area be demarcated in such a way that the two communities would know their boundaries and limits. But the Kataf argue that the entire land belongs to them. The question of ceding a portion therefore does not arise. On the other hand, the Hausa insist they are not moving an inch, out of the area, having lived there for several years.

That is the crux of the matter and when the area exploded in violent conflict in May, 1992, it had had to do with a planned relocation of the market which is within the territory of the Hausa community. The Kataf want the market in their own territory and today, the market is neither here nor there. "If the commission can resolve all the issues arising from the petitions, along with those of the community leaders, and the government accepts the recommendations, the crisis will be put behind us," Oputa told reporters on Wednesday at the conclusion of his tour of part of the area.

A leader of Hausa community, Alhaji Ibrahim Bizala, identified the return of the Hausa farmland allegedly confiscated by the Kataf, as one of the conditions for peace. Moreover, according to him, the new palace of the Agwan Atyap, being built in Zango town is a slap on the face of the Hausa because, as he put it, "the palace is being built on our land." But president of Atyap Youth Forum, Francis Koza, insisted in an interview that, "Zango town is our traditional home, we cannot leave it for anybody but we are prepared to live in peace with anybody."

The communal feud over land apart, before the May 15, 1992 incident which later spread to Kaduna, the capital city, the Hausa in Zango Kataf have always consistently alleged various other forms of marginalisation by the predominantly Christian Kataf. The level of destruction of lives and property during that crisis had forced the Federal Government to intervene and set up the Zango-Kataf Civil and Communal Disturbances Tribunal.

The tribunal investigated the disturbances and sentenced 17 persons to death by hanging for alleged complicity in the killings. Among those sentenced to death was a former military governor of Rivers State, Major-General Zamani Lekwot, a Kataf. However government had reviewed the case, and commuted the sentence to various terms of imprisonment. The Kaduna State Government too, had set up its own "The Zangon-Kataf (Market) Riots Judicial Commission of Inquiry" headed by Justice Raheela Cudjoe. The commission had received a total of 94 written memoranda and expectedly, the two groups presented contradictory claims regarding the ownership of the areas in dispute. For example, a certain Muhammed Idris Aliyu had contended that, "Zango-kataf is a settler point in one of the former routes that connected the Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria during the pre-colonial area. This settler point was recognised and identified as Zangon-Zuma Kitib. these settlers could not pronounce the Kitib but katab and later changed the spelling to Kataf, in the seventies." But, a group which had identified itself as the "Zangon Katab residents" had contended that, "the present Zango-Kataf existed for over 70 years as a purely Hausa settlement."

Whatever the claims though, Rebecca Sako-John, a Kaduna-based legal practitioner, in a paper titled: "The Zango-Kataf and Other Towns Civil Disturbances: February - May 1992" described the series of events that culminated in the bloody clashes. According to her, "on 30th January 1992, Mallam Juri Babang Ayoki, and Atyap man and a retired police officer, being the duly elected chairman of Zangon-Kataf Local Government Council, announced that the weekly market of Zango-kataf would now operate from a site along Magamiya Road, starting from February 6th, 1992. It was the contention of the council that the old market was too small, among other reasons. This decision did not go down well with the Hausa traders who saw this move as political vendetta. One Alhaji Danbakla A.T.K, an outspoken resident of Zango town went on air in a Hausa radio programme - Jakan Magori to denounce the move and promised breakdown of law and order on 5th February, 1992, eve of the movement of the market to the new site. Alhaji Danbala A.T.K. obtained an order from the upper area court, Kafanchan, restraining the local government council from relocating the market. This did not appear enough however, as without any proof that the order was served on the local government council, traders started arriving the new site on 6th February, 1992, unaware of the doom lurking in the corner. All of a sudden, hell broke loose as traders were turned back and their wares destroyed by rampaging Hausa youths, the culminating melee left 95 persons dead and many others injured with property worth thousands of naira destroyed. As if the damage was not enough, another spate of civil and communal disturbances broke out throughout the state, between 15th May and 19th May 1992. This time, the magnitude of the disturbance was enormous."

The tribunals headed by Justices B.O. Okadigbo and Justice E.A. Adegbite had sentenced the following to death, by hanging: Gankon Dawa Kurfi, Lliya Maza (Alias Tsohon Soja), Major-Gen. Zamani Lukwot, Yunans Karan Kibori, Marcus Mamman, Yahaya Duniya, Julis Sarki Yaman Dabo, Audu Shuaibu Ali Dan Hassan, Audu Badan Yam, Zamani Kazah, Suekarau Ka'ah, Sani Adam Jamkars, Ayuba Tache, Jonathan Yashim, Bala B. Bonet and Sgt Dan Azumi Zakari (alias Sabo Dakaza).

The 1992 incident may well be history now but indications are that the problem is certainly not over yet. A former military governor of the defunct Gongola State, told reporters last Wednesday in Zango-Kataf that, "what the Hausa want is a chiefdom of their own within here. But the government said 'no, the best you can get is district of your own' and they named it Zango-Kataf urban. That does not preclude the chief from exercising dominion over his own domain." And, for Lekwot "we have going beyond the Cudjoe (report). On top of the Cudjoe, was the AVM Usman Muazu report. That team comprised seven Atyap and seven Hausa. All the things that need to be done for permanent peace to return, were drawn up. Government accepted the recommendations which are being implemented systematically, including the siting of the Chief's palace." However the Hausa and Kataf leaders who are expected to table their divergent grievances. But, will Zangon-Kataf ever see peace? Only time can tell the inscriptions on the placards which a section of protesting youths in the area had carried. The "buffer Zone" refers to one of the suggestions by a panel set up by the Kaduna State Government in 1992 as a measure to ensure peace in the area. The panel had recommended that the area be demarcated in such a way that the two communities would know their boundaries and limits. But the Kataf argue that the entire land belongs to them. The question of ceding a portion therefore does not arise. On the other hand, the Hausa insist they are not moving an inch out of the area, having lived there for several years.

That is the crux of the matter and when the area exploded in violent conflict in May, 1992, it had had to do with a planned relocation of the market which is within the territory of the Hausa community. The Kataf want the market in their own territory and today, the market is neither here nor there. "If the commission can resolve all the issues arising from the petitions, along with those of the community leaders, and the government accepts the recommendations, the crisis will be put behind us," Oputa told reporters on Wednesday at the conclusion of his tour of part of the area.

A leader of Hausa community, Alhaji Ibrahim Bizala, identified the return of the Hausa farmland allegedly confiscated by the Kataf, as one of the conditions for peace. Moreover, according to him, the new palace of the Agwan Atyap, being built in Zango town is a slap on the face of the Hausa because, as he put it, "the palace is being built on our land." But president of Atyap Youth Forum, Francis Koza, insisted in an interview that, "Zango town is our traditional home, we cannot leave it for anybody but we are prepared to live in peace with anybody."

The communal feud over land apart, before the May 15, 1992 incident which later spread to Kaduna, the capital city, the Hausa in Zango Kataf have always consistently alleged various other forms of marginalisation by the predominantly Christian Kataf. The level of destruction of lives and property during that crisis had forced the Federal Government to intervene and set up the Zango-Kataf Civil and Communal Disturbances Tribunal.

The tribunal investigated the disturbances and sentenced 17 persons to death by hanging for alleged complicity in the killings. Among those sentenced to death was a former military governor of Rivers State, Major-General Zamani Lekwot, a Kataf. However government had reviewed the case, and commuted the sentences to various terms of imprisonment. The Kaduna State Government too, had set up its own "The Zangon-Kataf (Market) Riots Judicial Commission of Inquiry" headed by Justice Raheela Cudjoe. The commission had received a total of 94 written memoranda and expectedly, the two groups presented contradictory claims regarding the ownership of the areas in dispute. For example, a certain Muhammed Idris Aliyu had contended that, "Zango-kataf is a settler point in one of the former routes that connected the Southern and Northern parts of Nigeria during the pre-colonial area. This settler point was recognised and identified as Zangon-Zuma Kitib. these settlers could not pronounce the Kitib but katab and later changed the spelling to Kataf, in the seventies." But, a group which had identified itself as the "Zangon Katab residents" had contended that, "the present Zango-Kataf existed for over 70 years as a purely Hausa settlement."

Whatever the claims though, Rebecca Sako-John, a Kaduna-based legal practitioner, in a paper titled: "The Zango-Kataf and Other Towns Civil Disturbances: February - May 1992" described the series of events that culminated in the bloody clashes as unfortunate. According to her, "on 30th January 1992, Mallam Juri Babang Ayoki, and Atyap man and a retired police officer, being the duly elected chairman of Zangon-Kataf Local Government Council, announced that the weekly market of Zango-kataf would now operate from a site along Magamiya Road, starting from February 6th, 1992. It was the contention of the council that the old market was too small, among other reasons. This decision did not go down well with the Hausa traders who saw this move as political vendetta. One Alhaji Danbakla A.T.K, an outspoken resident of Zango town went on air in a Hausa radio programme - Jakan Magori to denounce the move and promised breakdown of law and order on 5th February, 1992, eve of the movement of the market to the new site. Alhaji Danbala A.T.K. obtained an order from the upper area court, Kafanchan, restraining the local government council from relocating the market. This did not appear enough however, as without any proof that the order was served on the local government council, traders started arriving the new site on 6th February, 1992, unaware of the doom lurking in the corner. All of a sudden, hell broke loose as traders were turned back and their wares destroyed by rampaging Hausa youths, the culminating melee left 95 persons dead and many others injured with property worth thousands of naira destroyed. As if the damage was not enough, another spate of civil and communal disturbances broke out throughout the state, between 15th May and 19th May 1992. This time, the magnitude of the disturbance was enormous."

The tribunal headed by Justices B.O. Okadigbo and Justice E.A. Adegbite had sentenced the following to death, by hanging: Gankon Dawa Kurfi, Lliya Maza (Alias Tsohon Soja), Major-Gen. Zamani Lukwot, Yunans Karan Kibori, Marcus Mamman, Yahaya Duniya, Julis Sarki Yaman Dabo, Audu Shuaibu Ali Dan Hassan, Audu Badan Yam, Zamani Kazah, Suekarau Ka'ah, Sani Adam Jamkars, Ayuba Tache, Jonathan Yashim, Bala B. Bonet and Sgt Dan Azumi Zakari (alias Sabo Dakaza).

The 1992 incident may well be history now but indications are that the problem is certainly not over yet. A former military governor of the defunct Gongola State, Colonel Yohanna Madaki (rtd) told reporters last Wednesday in Zango-Kataf that, "what the Hausa want is a chiefdom of their own within here. But the government said 'no, the best you can get is district of your own' and they named it Zango-Kataf urban. That does not preclude the chief from exercising dominion over his own domain." And, for Lekwot "we have gone beyond the Cudjoe (report). On top of the Cudjoe, was the AVM Usman Muazu report. That team comprised seven Atyap and seven Hausa. All the things that need to be done for permanent peace to return, were drawn up. Government accepted the recommendations which are being implemented systematically, including siting of the Chief's palace." However the Hausa and Kataf leaders are expected to table their divergent grievances. But, will Zangon-Kataf ever see peace? Only time can tell.