[6][7][8][9] An Associated Press story states, "The Sayawas are in the majority in the town and its surrounding villages, but their traditional rulers have been of the predominantly Muslim Fulani ethnic group.

The town has been a hot-bed of communal crises that have lingered for over 50 years; as witnessed in 1948, 1959, 1977, 1991, 1995, 2001, 2005, 2010, 2011 and 2012, with hundreds of lives lost and property worth millions of naira destroyed.

[11] In 2011, 38 people died in violence that began after an argument in a snooker hall, and Kutaru, Malanchi, Gongo, Gumel, and Gital villages were burned down in a reprisal attack.

I shall direct the complete demolition of the town for peace to reign.” An "emergency joint stakeholders meeting of Muslims and Christians representatives of Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local government areas" was held, and an agreement was reached.

Rifkatu Samson Danna, representing Bogoro Constituency and the only female member of the Bauchi State House of Assembly, was suspended from her post after her opposition to the decision.