
By Elizabeth Kah Nange
BAUCHI, NIGERIA: On December 12, 2007, amidst the smoke and chaos of a horrifying inter-religious clash between Muslims and Christians in Yelwa Kagadama community, Bauchi State, Hussein Yahaya, 43, recalled being instructed by his father to stay at home with the family. Despite the warning, Yahaya became a victim of the violence.
“I didn’t expect it would reach our area, but all of a sudden, the Christian youths came in their numbers and attacked us,” he told The SolutionsPaper.
The clash began over the destruction of a mosque under construction at Government Day Secondary School Kagadama (commonly known as Baban Tanko), located in a predominantly Christian area. Though the destruction was officially attributed to unidentified persons and the police intervened, this did not de-escalate tensions and led to attacks on individuals and the burning of homes and properties.
“I lost my dad and my twin brother who had come for a visit from Abuja; they were burnt alive. Can you imagine that? What pains me most is that I didn’t witness their burial to pay my last respects as the security came and bundled us, and we were locked up for days. What a wicked thing to do. I cherish the moments I had with my twin brother, but he was snatched away from me for no reason,” he lamented.
Bauchi State, located in northeastern Nigeria, has insecurity issues linked to the terrorist activities of Boko Haram and other bandit groups, many of which have instituted religious-based violence. While the state is home to diverse ethnic and religious groups, it has also experienced ethno-religious conflicts like many different regions in Northern Nigeria. A study revealed that at least 95% of religious disputes occurred in the northern region.
The first religious crisis in Bauchi occurred in 1991 in the Tafawa Balewa local government area. Subsequent conflicts in Yelwa Kagadama in 2007, 2018 and 2022 caused wider polarization, leading to separate markets, schools, and motor parks between both religious sides in Yelwa Kadagama.

John Agbonifo, a Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at the Osun State University, Osogbo, noted the proliferation of religious sects with fundamental or extremist views in Nigeria are triggers for some religious conflicts as such sects propagate their extremist views within society, resulting in the radicalisation of their adherents.
Abubakar Umar, 49, said he cannot forget the 2022 conflict that occurred in Yelwa Tsakani and spread to Yelwa Kusu and all communities in Yelwa Kagadama. “A young man was calling for help. He had matchet cuts on his head, and he was bleeding seriously. I had to wrap his head with clothes and then call out for help to assist him to the hospital. A few hours later, he was pronounced dead.”
“I am Muslim, and that young man was a Christian with a pregnant wife. I still hear his voice calling for help in my subconscious; I feel I failed him as a Birshi Youth Peace Movement member,” Abubakar continued.
The Birshi Youth Peace Movement
In response to ongoing violence, the Birshi Youth Peace Movement was established in 2007 by concerned Muslim and Christian youths to bridge religious divides within the community. Initially met with scepticism, the movement grew in acceptance among village leaders and has continued to promote awareness about the importance of peaceful coexistence.
The Birshi Youth Peace Movement has a limited membership of 36—18 Christians and 18 Muslims—and a network of informants in conflict-prone areas who report disputes. To prevent conflict, the clashing parties are invited to meetings at the community leader’s palace for discussion and mediation. Parents may also be invited to attend if their children are involved.
The movement is structured to include participants from various demographics, including youth and women volunteers. The youths are responsible for alerting community leaders about any signs of potential crises. The Mai Anguwas (village heads) hold peace meetings three or four times a month to ensure feedback is communicated to traditional leaders and the police regularly. Also, a Peace and Security Committee, known as the Yan Committee, was formed to patrol the community and address minor disputes.
“Today we are proud to say our peace efforts have made other communities link up with us to understudy our initiatives,” Nendi Bitrus, the deputy chairman of the Birshi Youth Peace Movement representing the Christian community of Yelwa Kusu, told The SolutionsPaper. “This period of relative peace is something we cherish as it has paved the way for development in Yelwa Kagadama and neighbouring communities.”
So far, the movement has played a crucial role in de-escalating minor tensions and misunderstandings. In one incident, the Yan (Peace and Security) Committee punished a group of Muslim youths by giving them strokes of cane for attacking Christian girls over their perceived indecent clothing. Abubakar noted that the quick intervention of the committee helped douse tensions.
Rekiya Umar, 42, a women’s leader in the movement, emphasized that inter-religious conflicts often disproportionately impact women and children, prompting her to become a peace ambassador. She believes her role is vital in educating women in the community about the need for peace and tolerance.

“My husband is a member of the peace committee, so I decided to join him because I have seen the role he plays in promoting peace in Yelwa. Though I don’t participate in their meetings because of my religion, he comes back to brief me about happenings, which I do step down [relate] to other women.”
Off Guard
The spontaneous nature of inter-religious crises remains a drawback that always catches the Birshi Youth Peace Movement off guard. Sometimes before information gets to the Yan committee or community leaders, lives and properties have been lost.
For instance, the 2022 conflict was sparked in Yelwa Tsakani after the killing of a Muslim commercial motorcycle rider who visited the predominantly Christian area to drop off a passenger. According to Abubakar, the attacks were sudden and before the committee got the information, houses were already ablaze.
However, once the information has gotten to the Birshi Youth Peace Movement and community leaders, they quickly de-escalate the issue and make sure it doesn’t go beyond 24 hours and spread to other parts of Yelwa Kagadama.
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The Birshi Youth Peace Movement is a closed group of 36 members and does not admit new members, thus, only a small portion of the community is involved in this initiative. Professor Agbonifo added that there is a need to expand the movement in order to make it more effective. He also noted that the government needs to partner with the movement, showing that it is recognised and is doing very important work.
“To this end, the government can arrange a certificated international training in peace studies for members of the Peace Movement, confer some kind of honorary titles on members, scholarships, etc.”
Credits
Editing: Adebola Makinde
The SolutionsPaper is a a multimedia outlet leveraging solutions and constructive journalism to spur civic action and participation in development issues across Africa.