Violent clashes erupted in Wukari, Taraba State, when the funeral procession of a traditional chief from the predominantly Christian Jukun ethnic group marched through a Muslim neighbourhood chanting slogans, which was perceived as an act of provocation. The violence between Christian and Muslim mobs left 39 people dead and 30 injured. Scores of houses were destroyed. The incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened religious tensions in the town following a February 2013 dispute between Muslim and Christian football teams over use of a pitch, which had itself caused several deaths .
3 May 2013 · Wukari, Wukari, Taraba
Deaths
39
Injured
30
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
69
Perpetrators
Communal/ethno-religious militias
Response
The Acting Governor, Garba Umar, imposed a 24-hour indefinite curfew. Troops were deployed from the 34 Squadron in Gombe and 14 Squadron in Yola to reinforce local police. Over 40 suspects were arrested.
Socioeconomic drivers
Longstanding Christian–Muslim tensions in Wukari, contested religious identities, and fragile coexistence.
Trajectory
The May 2013 riot marked a shift in Wukari from occasional riots to a state of permanent militarization. It led to the closure of local universities and a long-term economic decline of the Wukari Yam Market, once one of the largest in the region.
Cycle notes
Boko Haram’s 2009 uprising began with a seemingly minor dispute over enforcement of motorcycle helmet laws during a funeral procession—an episode similar to the 2013 Wukari funeral riot—illustrating how routine social or ceremonial events in northern Nigeria can rapidly become flashpoints for large-scale violence.
Pattern
Ethno-religious communal violence
Related — Communal Violence
A communal clash erupted in Kasuwan Magani, Kajuru LGA, Kaduna State. The violence started on Thursday, October 18, 2018, around 5:30 PM at the local market. It began as a disagreement among Hausa Muslim and Adara Christian youths over where traders should offload their wares. The conflict quickly escalated, leading to widespread violence, arson, and loss of life
A violent religious uprising, sometimes referred to as the "Katsina revolt", was sparked by a publication that allegedly insulted the Prophet Muhammad. In late March 1991, followers of the Shiite Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), led by the Katsina-based cleric Mallam Yakubu Yahaya, stormed a Daily Times sales outlet in Katsina. A crowd of about 20,000 people forcibly removed the publication (known as Fun Times) and burnt it to express their displeasure over its content, which they considered blasphemous. The situation soon turned into chaos as buildings and cars were set ablaze, leading to widespread destruction of property. Several people were arrested and imprisoned.
Gur village near Jootar in Ukum LGA was attacked by communal militias.