HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS OF ETHNO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND ITS IMPLICATION ON THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE PEASANTS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

Ethno religious conflicts started in Northern Nigeria in the pre-colonial era, it got rooted in the colonial era but got to its climax in the post-colonial era. Karl Marx theory of conflict was used to provide an academic foundation for this study. The study reveals that so many peasants in Northern Nigeria lost their sources of livelihood as a result of constant attacks from the Boko-Haram, bandits and Fulani-herdsmen. They also suffered greatly as a result of several ethno-religious crises that have occurred before the advent of Boko-Haram, Fulani herdsmen and Banditry. Ethno-religious conflict only intensified as a result of the emergence of bandits, book-haram and Fulani herdsmen. Most of their valuable properties, crops, cattles and land have been destroyed and taken over by the Fulani herdsmen. The rate of insecurity in Northern part of Nigeria is alarming as the death toll is increasing every month, and even the internally displaced people’s camps are not save for human habitation in terms of security, good sanitary condition, adequate food, nets, drugs, etc. it was therefore recommended that the Federal Government should equip the police and away with sophisticated security devices and weapons that will enable them to combat ethno-religious conflict in Northern Nigeria.