Plateau Court's Landmark Ruling: Hausa-Born Residents of Jos North Are Indigenes Jang Pushes Back

Senator Jonah David Jang

A Plateau State High Court has delivered a judgment that is already reshaping one of Nigeria's most contentious and long-running debates who truly belong, and who merely reside.

The court ruled that a Hausa person born and raised in Jos North Local Government Area can be recognized as an indigene of the area and is therefore entitled to a Certificate of Indigene. The judgment, delivered on June 9, 2026 by Justice C. Donglong of Plateau State High Court 17, ordered Jos North Local Government Area to issue an indigene certificate to Fatima Baba Akawu, a Hausa woman born and raised in Jos, within 30 days.

The Case That Triggered the Ruling
The suit was brought before the court by two applicants Fatima Baba Akawu as the first claimant, and her father, Baba Alhaji Akawu, as the second claimant against Jos North LGA over the council's refusal to issue Fatima an indigene certificate.

The applicants asked the court to determine whether the first claimant, born in Jos North to a father recognized as an indigene of the area, could be denied indigene status on the basis of ethnicity, and whether such denial violated constitutional provisions on non-discrimination.

They also challenged the legality of issuing a "Residential Certificate" in place of an indigene certificate, arguing that it had no basis in law and could not be used to determine eligibility for public benefits reserved for indigenes.

The second claimant, Baba Alhaji Akawu, had himself served as a Member of the House of Representatives representing Jos North LGA in the National Assembly in 1983 a fact that made the denial of his daughter's indigene status all the more glaring.

Court Condemns Discrimination as Reprehensible

Justice Donglong did not mince words. He described the council's action as discriminatory, noting that Fatima was issued a residence certificate while another applicant of Berom origin received an indigene certificate on the same day, for the same type of application.

The court condemned the practice of issuing "residential certificates" in place of indigene certificates, declaring it unconstitutional, discriminatory, and devoid of legal standing.

In the words of the court: "This court is particularly moved by the constitutional imperative to protect every Nigerian citizen's right to freedom from discrimination on grounds of ethnic origin and the circumstances of birth. The defendant's conduct, by issuing a Residential Certificate to the 1st claimant, a Hausa by ethnic origin, while issuing a Certificate of Indigene to Dung Bot of the Berom ethnic origin, both on the same date for the same application, is a reprehensible act of ethnic discrimination."

A Verdict with Far-Reaching Implications

For decades, Hausa residents of Jos North despite generations of birth and residence have been denied indigene certificates, effectively excluding them from public sector jobs, scholarships, and political representation. Jos North has been a flashpoint of ethnic conflict, with Hausa-Fulani communities often branded as "settlers" despite centuries of residence. Indigene certificates had become instruments of exclusion, reinforcing political dominance by Berom, Afizere, and Anaguta groups.

Bamu Muktah, who spoke to correspondents after the ruling, described it as a test case not only for Hausa communities in Plateau but also for Fulani and other groups living in the Middle Belt who have long been treated as non-indigenous despite multi-generational ties to their localities.

Jang Pushes Back
Not everyone welcomed the ruling. Former Plateau State Governor and Senator Jonah David Jang opposed the judgment, arguing that it effectively put an end to the lingering debate which has pitted the Hausa people against natives who see them as settlers a debate he felt the court settled too hastily.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Jang said the judgment would come with serious implications for the state's identity, cultural heritage, and indigenous rights. He argued that altering the existing framework could create tensions and undermine the rights of groups that have traditionally been recognized as indigenous to the state.

According to Jang: "Indigene certificates are historically linked to communities and ethnic groups recognized as the original inhabitants of Plateau State and should not be granted solely based on long-term residence. Yes, every Nigerian has the constitutional right to live and conduct lawful activities anywhere in the country, but such rights should not automatically translate into indigene status. Preserving the distinction between residents and indigenes is necessary to protect the interests, heritage, and political representation of indigenous communities."

Others Fire Back at Jang
Jang's opposition drew swift rebuke. The Plateau State chapter of the Kautal Pulaaku Fulbe Association of Nigeria berated the former governor for opposing the ruling, which they considered a long-overdue correction of decades of systemic exclusion.

A Constitutional Question Nigeria Must Confront

At its core, this ruling forces Nigeria to grapple with a question it has long deferred: can ethnicity alone determine belonging in a modern constitutional democracy? The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom from discrimination based on ethnicity and circumstances of birth. Justice Donglong's ruling answers that question at least within the jurisdiction of Plateau State High Court with an unambiguous no.

Whether this judgment survives any appeal, and whether it catalyses broader legal and political reform on the indigene-settler question across Nigeria's Middle Belt and beyond, remains to be seen. But it has, undeniably, cracked open a door that many Nigerians particularly in communities long branded as "strangers in the land of their birth" have been waiting decades to walk through.

Sources / References
Daily Post Nigeria "Hausa residents born in Jos North are indigenes Plateau High Court"

https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/11/hausa-residents-born-in-jos-north-are-indigenes-plateau-high-court/

(Published: June 11, 2026)
Daily Trust "Court grants indigenous status to Hausas born in Jos North"

https://dailytrust.com/just-in-court-grants-indigenous-status-to-hausas-born-in-jos-north/

(Published: June 11, 2026)
West African Pilot News "Court Declares Hausa-born Residents Indigene of Jos North"

https://www.westafricanpilotnews.com/2026/06/12/court-declares-hausa-born-residents-indigene-of-jos-north/

(Published: June 12, 2026 Reporter: Ezinwanne Onwuka)

Pegasus Reporters "Editorial: Plateau Court's Landmark Ruling on Indigene Certificates A Turning Point for Equality in Nigeria"

https://www.pegasusreporters.com/2026/06/13/editorial-plateau-courts-landmark-ruling-on-indigene-certificates-a-turning-point-for-equality-in-nigeria/

(Published: June 13, 2026)
Daily Post Nigeria "Plateau ex-gov, Jang kicks against indigeneship certificates for Hausa residents"

https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/14/plateau-ex-gov-jang-kicks-against-indigeneship-certificates-for-hausa-residents/

(Published: June 14, 2026 Reporter: Lekkyez Auta)

Daily Post Nigeria "Group berates ex-gov Jang for opposing indigeneship for Hausa-Fulani"

https://dailypost.ng/2026/06/15/group-berates-ex-gov-jang-for-opposing-indigeneship-for-hausa-fulani/

(Published: June 15, 2026)
Irohin Odua "Court says Plateau born Hausas are indigenous"

https://www.irohinodua.org/court-says-plateau-born-hausas-are-indigenous/

(Published: June 2026)
Mustapha Bature Sallama.
Medical/ Science Communicator,
Private Investigator, Criminal investigation and Intelligence Analysis.

International Conflict Management and Peace Building.USIP

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