PIDAN Rejects Jos North Indigeneity Ruling, Heads to Court of Appeal

By Emmanuel Kwada

The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has rejected the recent Federal High Court judgment on the indigeneity of Jos North Local Government Area, describing the ruling as contrary to established judicial precedents and vowing to challenge it through legal means.

The group 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 of the Federal High Court, Jos, on June 9, 2026.

PIDAN urged residents of Plateau State to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding while it pursues constitutional and legal avenues, including an appeal, to contest what it termed a “legal anomaly.”

According to the organisation, the judgment came as a shock to many indigenes of the state, given what it described as a long history of judicial and administrative findings affirming the indigenous status of the Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom ethnic groups in Jos North.

The group cited the findings of several commissions of inquiry established after past crises in Jos, including the Aribiton Fiberesima Commission of 1994, the Niki Tobi Commission of 2001, the Bola Ajibola Commission of 2008, and the 2004 Plateau Peace Conference, all of which, it said, identified the Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom as the indigenous communities of Jos and Jos North.

PIDAN also referenced legal proceedings that followed the acceptance of the Fiberesima Commission’s report, noting that challenges against its findings were dismissed by the Plateau State High Court and subsequently upheld by the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

The organisation argued that the recent judgment in the case involving Fatima Baba Akawu appears to conflict with those earlier decisions, particularly rulings of higher courts, including the Supreme Court.

“As a result, PIDAN will immediately instruct its legal team to study the judgment and advise on the most appropriate legal action, including filing an appeal to have the decision set aside,” the statement said.

The group further stressed that while all Nigerians enjoy constitutional rights as citizens regardless of where they reside, indigeneship remains a distinct concept linked to ancestral ownership and customary rights.

PIDAN maintained that the distinction between citizenship and indigeneship is recognised across Nigeria and applies in all states and the Federal Capital Territory.

While acknowledging the contributions and rights of other ethnic groups living in Plateau State, including Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo, and South-South communities, the organisation insisted that such groups are not indigenous to Jos North.

The group also appealed to Governor Caleb Mutfwang and security agencies to sustain efforts aimed at maintaining law and order across the state.

PIDAN President, Ambassador Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, and Secretary-General, Comrade Danjuma Dickson Auta, who jointly signed the statement, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to pursuing justice through lawful means and pledged to keep the public informed on developments regarding the case.

The controversy surrounding indigeneity in Jos North has remained one of the most sensitive socio-political issues in Plateau State, with stakeholders expressing divergent views on ownership, identity, and citizenship rights in the area.