Urban landscapes of territoriality and ethnic violence The spread and recurrence of deadly riots in Jos, Nigeria

There is considerable consensus among scholars of ethnic riots that ethnically mixed areas are more prone to collective violence than segregated ones. The conclusion is based on studies that compare levels of violence between segregated and mixed localities. While this addresses disparities between settlements of dissimilar ethnic composition, variations in spread of violence across ethnically mixed areas remain a mystery. Seeking to explicate these variations, this dissertation proposes an approach that not only examines the ethnic composition of a neighbourhood, but also its location in relation to adjoining neighbourhoods of similar or dissimilar ethnic makeup and their shared boundaries. It takes Jos as its case - a central Nigerian city where contestations over indigene rights and political representation have led to large-scale ethnic riots. Over 5,000 people were killed in episodic violence between 2001 and 2010, distinguishing the clashes as some of the most atrocious and persistent in Nigeria’s modern history. Based on an ethnographic fieldwork carried out across Jos’ neighbourhoods between 2015 and 2017, the dissertation empirically demonstrates that ethnically mixed areas located between segregated ones experience more incidents of violence than mixed neighbourhoods not comparably located. While segregated localities provide a hospitable environment for mobilising armed mobs, the mixed areas, especially those located between segregated settlements, serve as the frontiers of collective violence. Moreover, locals-only pedestrian alleys linking neighbourhoods with contiguous boundaries enhance the mobility of armed mobs, while major highways and other physical barriers hinder it. The conclusion explains the theoretical as well as the practical implications of these findings.