The Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Natives (PIDAN) has called for calm across Plateau State following the Federal High Court ruling on the indigeneity of Jos North Local Government Area, while announcing plans to challenge the judgment through legal channels.
PIDAN’s position follows a default judgment delivered on June 9, 2026, by Justice C. Donglong of the Federal High Court, Jos, which has since sparked public debate and reactions among stakeholders in the state.
In a statement issued after an emergency meeting held on June 13, 2026, PIDAN urged residents to remain peaceful and law-abiding, stressing the need to avoid actions capable of escalating tensions.
“While taking full cognizance of the ruling and the various comments in the public domain, PIDAN urges all citizens of Plateau State to remain calm and law-abiding,” the group stated.
The organization said it would, in collaboration with other concerned institutions, explore all available legal and constitutional options, including an immediate appeal, to challenge what it described as a “legal anomaly.”
PIDAN said it was shocked by the ruling, arguing that it conflicts with what it described as long-established judicial and administrative precedents on the question of indigeneity in Jos North.
It referenced several panels and commissions set up after past crises, including the Aribiton Fiberesima Commission (1994), the Niki Tobi Commission (2001), the Bola Ajibola Commission (2008), and the 2004 Plateau Peace Conference.
According to PIDAN, these panels consistently identified the Afizere, Anaguta, and Berom ethnic groups as the indigenous inhabitants of Jos and Jos North, while describing other long-settled groups as residents but not indigenes with ancestral ownership claims.
The group also cited previous court rulings, including decisions from the Plateau State High Court, the Court of Appeal in Jos, and a Supreme Court judgment delivered in 2009, which it said affirmed earlier findings on the matter.
PIDAN maintained that the recent Federal High Court judgment appears to conflict with higher court precedents and insisted it would pursue an appeal to set it aside.
The organization, however, cautioned against violence, urging residents to remain calm and avoid taking the law into their hands.
“All citizens of Plateau State are urged to remain peaceful, refrain from any acts of violence and avoid taking the law into their own hands,” it said.
PIDAN also drew a distinction between citizenship and indigeneship, noting that while all Nigerians enjoy constitutional rights across the country, indigene status is tied to ancestral and customary claims, a distinction it said applies nationwide.
It further called on the state government and security agencies to ensure law and order, reaffirming its commitment to pursuing justice through legal processes.
The statement was signed by Amb. Danjuma Nanpon Sheni, President, and Comr. Danjuma Dickson Auta, Secretary General of PIDAN.