Kasuwar Magani, Kaduna Where It Is Forbidden To ‘Love’ 

Kasuwar Magani, Kaduna Where It Is Forbidden To ‘Love’ 
From Kasuwar Magani, a town in the southern part of Kaduna State, MUHAMMAD SABIU reports that falling in love has become a dangerous venture among youths in the community as a crisis broke out early last week Monday as a result of religious differences.

KASUWAR Magani, a town in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State has always been a controversial town. Populated by a local people called Adara on one hand and Hausas, Kajuru is still today a town hotly contested for by the two major groups.

A resident of the town who gave his name as Mallam Abdullahi believes the Hausa own the town. He told the Sunday Tribune that over 100 years ago the first person to settle in the town was a Hausa man. According to him, ‘the Adara people who claim ownership of the town were idol worshippers living in the surrounding thick forests.

“They were living in those hills behind the town. It was later when they saw us here in Kasuwar Magani they began to come out from the mountains and settled with us. That’s the reason you see that the population of the Hausa community is appreciable,” he said.

Thus, 40 years ago, the town came to the front burner of national discourse when violence erupted leading to loss of lives and destruction of property. Then governor of the state, Alhaji Balarabe Musa quickly intervened by introducing a curfew.

Mallam Yusuf Auta who witnessed the mayhem recalled that, “one morning, the Adara community felt they were gradually being marginalised by the Hausa community. They said the claim by the Hausa that they own the town was untrue and false,“ he said, adding that the Adara began to spread the sentiments among their people and until a crisis erupted.

It was gathered that the Kasuwar Magani crisis of 1980 was regarded as the first crisis that broke out in Southern Kaduna. A community leader in the area, who pleaded for anonymity, said the two communities had since then been living in peace with each other.

“There is no recorded case of any misunderstanding that I didn’t know. I can also recall the leaders then not only agreed to sheath their swords but also signed what could be regarded as a peace deal,” he narrated.

Findings gathered that over the years, Kasuwar Magani became economically buoyant. The Hausa residents erected shops and became owners of some business enterprises. Other tribes too like the Igbo and the Yoruba came to settle in the area.

staff member of the Kaduna Refinery and Petro-Chemical Company, Mr Bulus Gabriel, told Sunday Tribune that “some of the NNPC staff built their houses in Kasuwar Magani because of its proximity to the refinery.”

Gabriel also recalled that the Southern Kaduna crisis in the state has also compelled people to choose where to stay in order to have rest of mind and Kasuwar Magani location is a factor.

“People now stay where their safety is guaranteed. So, many of the Christian members of staff in the refinery from the Southern part of the state had chosen to settle in Kasuwar Magani. The town has grown to become one of the bubbly towns in Southern Kaduna and even in the whole state.

“Every Saturday, the influx of people into the town is awesome. People from far and near come to make purchases. We have a big market. Some come here to unwind with their spouses and even drink to stupor,” he stated, noting that the town has enjoyed relative peace as everyone saw one another as brothers.

However, events of the last two weeks had changed everything. Sunday Tribune investigations revealed that the genesis of the current crisis started when leaders in Adara community, who are mostly Christians, allegedly told their girls to stop falling in love with Hausa boys.

Elaborating further, a resident in the area, who did not want to be identified, remarked that “our girls are fond of falling in love with the Muslim boys in the community. We want them to stop that,” he explained.