Remapping Secured Neighbourhoods in Conflict Pi one Nigeria: The Jos Example

An emerging issue in Nigeria's democratization is I he rising security consciousness of Nigerians. The military's definition of security not only put human beings and being human at the bottom of the scale, their style of governance closed most outlets for expression because they considered it as dissent. This created conditions and expectations that the political class promised to ameliorate when voted into office. Over a decade after their election into office, these conditions have not changed as conflicts continued unabated. One consequence of the conflicts is the rising exclusivity among hitherto if-iendly neighbors. Religion is one factor that drives and determines the conducts of Nigerians. Thus in the emerging settlement readjustment and determination of places to settle, Nigerians are increasingly guided by their physical safety. This paper, using primary and secondary sources, examines the emerging settlement patterns in Jos. The paper argues that democratic governments at all levels are yet to distance themselves-from the security policy inherited from the jnilitary and reorient their policy and programmed to catering for human being. The result is the creation of conflict conditions ■ which produces readjustment of hitherto plural neighborhood.