07/10/2025
JOS BELONGS TO ALL: NAKANDE URGES RESIDENTS TO ASSERT INDIGENE RIGHTS THROUGH LAWFUL MEANS
By Haruna Umar
Concerned Plateau citizen, Ahmed Tijjani Nakande has urged residents of Jos North Local Government Area to lawfully assert their rightful identity as indigenes through court affidavits, following reports that some citizens, particularly those of Hausa/Fulani Muslim heritage are being denied Indigene Certificates and issued Residential Certificates instead.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Who Truly Belongs to Jos North?”, Nakande described the situation as unjust and divisive, warning that it undermines the peace, unity, and diversity that Plateau State is known for.
“Leadership must stand for justice. Jos North cannot be divided by labels of ‘resident’ and ‘indigene.’ We all belong here by history, by contribution, and by right. Let fairness lead, and unity will follow,” Nakande said.
He lamented that many families who have lived in Jos for generations are now being treated as outsiders in their birthplace.
“Any citizen born and raised in Jos North, whose parents and grandparents have lived and contributed here, has every right to assert this legally,” he emphasized.
“Where the system fails to issue an Indigene Certificate, one may approach a court to swear an affidavit affirming Jos North as their place of origin, a lawful way to claim what is already true.” he added.
Nakande, also known as Matawallen Ƴan Trailer, whose family has a long history of service to Plateau and Nigeria, recalled that his grandfather once represented the Northern Plateau–Benue Province in the Queen’s Assembly alongside the late Chief Solomon Lar, while his father, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Salihu Nakande, served as a Federal Minister from Plateau State.
He further pointed out that Jos North has produced notable political figures, including a Local Government Chairman, a Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, three Members of the House of Representatives, and a former Deputy Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, saying that the community’s roots in Plateau politics run deep.
Ahmed Tijjani Nakande also called on the current leadership of Jos North, traditional rulers, and elected representatives to urgently engage government agencies to review and correct the discriminatory practice
“Representation must go beyond titles, it must translate into protection and advocacy for the people. When we remain silent in the face of exclusion, we betray the trust of those who elected and believed in us,” he cautioned.
Reaffirming that his message was not a call for confrontation but for justice and peace, Nakande maintained that unity can only thrive on fairness.
“Every child born in Jos North deserves a certificate that affirms belonging, not denies it. If we truly desire peace and coexistence in Plateau State, let it begin with fairness and with the recognition that we all belong here,” he concluded.
