Public Spaces, Citizenship Right and Religion Conflicts in Nigeria

Abstract

Thus, the discriminatory tendencies over the years have led to buildup of accumulated grievances and tension among the Egungun worshippers in Kisi and the constant violence was just a trigger of long years of anger, frustration and animosity. The crises usually lead to death, disruption of economic activities and destruction of properties worth millions of Naira. Nigeria is prone to conflicts owing to Abstract: The Nigerian history is laced with obstinate conflicts mostly constructed around differences in political, cultural, ethnic and religious identities. There has been an upsurge in such conflicts since May 29 1999. While much of the conflicts revolve around struggles for the political control, others are hegemonic religion contests that are usually driven by fanaticism and involve claims or denial of the rights to use public spaces for religious purposes. The contestation is wide spread and involves Christianity, Islam and Traditional Religion Worshipers. The paper focuses on religion conflicts involving Muslims and Egungun (Masquerade) Worshipers in Kisi, Irepo Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria. The study utilized descriptive approach to examine the implications of religious fanaticism for citizenship and conflicts in Nigeria. Data were collected from both primary and secondary sources. The study revealed that in Kisi, some "Muslim fanatics" see and treat public spaces as the exclusive preserve of their religion and thus block the Egungun worshipers from using them for their annual festivals. The forceful resistance usually results to conflicts with severe consequences. The paper recommends continuous inter-faith peace dialogue and intensification of formal and informal civic education on religious tolerance in Nigeria.