Jos North Indigeneity Ruling: PIDAN Heads to Appeal, Urges Calm
By Comfort Pius, Jos
The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has rejected the June 9, 2026, judgment of the Federal High Court, Jos, on the indigeneity of Jos North Local Government Area and announced plans to challenge the decision through legal means.
The organization made its position known in a statement issued on Monday following an emergency meeting of its leadership held on June 13 to review the implications of the judgment delivered by Justice C. Donglong.
READ ALSO: Tinubu Mourns Retired Major-General Rabe Abubakar, Vows No Concessions to Terrorists
PIDAN President, Amb. Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, said the organization would pursue all available constitutional and legal avenues, including an appeal, to seek a review of the ruling.
According to the group, the judgment came as a shock to many indigenes of Plateau State and appeared to depart from what it described as established judicial and legal precedents on the issue of indigeneity in Jos North.
PIDAN maintained that the question of indigenous ownership of Jos North had long been addressed by several judicial commissions established following past crises in the area. It cited the Aribiton Fiberesima Commission of Inquiry on the 1994 Jos crisis, the Niki Tobi Commission on the 2001 crisis, the Bola Ajibola Commission on the 2008 crisis, and the 2004 Plateau Peace Conference.
The organization said the commissions consistently identified the Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom ethnic groups as the indigenous communities of Jos and Jos North, while acknowledging other ethnic groups as long-settled residents and citizens.
PIDAN further noted that legal challenges arising from the findings of the commissions had previously been determined by superior courts. It stated that a challenge to the Fiberesima Commission’s report was dismissed by the Plateau State High Court in 1996 and subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal, Jos Division, in 2000.
The group also claimed that the matter eventually reached the Supreme Court, which affirmed the decisions of the lower courts in a judgment delivered on April 24, 2009.
PIDAN argued that the recent Federal High Court judgment in the case involving Fatima Baba Akawu appeared to conflict with what it described as settled appellate and Supreme Court authorities on the matter.
“As a result, PIDAN will immediately instruct its legal team to study the judgment and advise on the most appropriate line of action, including the filing of an appeal,” the statement said.
The organization urged residents of Plateau State to remain peaceful and law-abiding, stressing that any concerns arising from the judgment should be addressed through lawful and constitutional means.
It cautioned against acts capable of undermining public peace and advised citizens not to take the law into their own hands.
PIDAN also maintained that citizenship and indigeneship remain distinct concepts within Nigeria’s socio-political framework, arguing that the practice is not peculiar to Plateau State but exists across the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group acknowledged members of other ethnic nationalities residing in Plateau State as valued citizens and contributors to the development of the state while reiterating its position regarding the indigenous status of the Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom communities in Jos North.
It called on the Plateau State Government and security agencies to continue maintaining law and order and to ensure that the judgment does not lead to a breakdown of peace.
PIDAN said it remains committed to pursuing justice through recognized legal channels and pledged to keep the public informed of developments regarding the case.
Efforts to obtain reactions from parties connected to the suit and the judgment were unsuccessful as of press time.
The statement was signed by PIDAN President Amb. Danjuma Nanpon Sheni and Secretary-General Comrade Danjuma Dickson Auta.
