ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief narrative of the early history of Jos foreshadows key conflicts among urban dwellers from the first outbreak of conflict tracing the trajectory of conflicts and the nature/dynamics that define each of them. It argues that exploring the history and geography of these early conflicts is necessary for understanding how exploration of these conflicts situates the analysis within the root causes of the contestation over indigene status and ownership of land act as key determents over struggles to claim city. The chapter traces the contours of conflict through unsettled claims to territory and home, as well as histories of displacement, provides a vista for understanding the urban dynamics that are transforming Jos, as well as other African cities. It examines the cosmopolitan nature of the development of Jos, and then concludes with episodic narratives of current conflicts, tracing their causes, nature and dynamics, and proposing suggestions for more inclusive resolutions.
