Jju people

The Jju people, or Ba̠jju (exonyms: Hausa: Kajje; Tyap: A̱jhyuo, are an ethnic group found in the Middle Belt (Central) area of Nigeria. The word Ba̠jju is a short for "Ba̠nyet Jju" which simply means "Jju People" and is used to refer to the speakers of the Jju language found in the Ka̠jju, the homeland of the Jju people. They are found in the Southern part of Kaduna State, chiefly in Kachia, Zangon Kataf, Jama'a and in Kaduna South Local Government Areas. Ba̠jju people are also commonly known as "Kaje" which is a pejorative name used to refer to both the Jju people and Jju language by the larger Hausa people who could not pronounce the name Ka̠jju (meaning the land of the Ba̠jju people) well. The Ba̠jju people are predominantly farmers, hunters, blacksmiths and petty traders.
According to oral history, the origin of the Ba̠jju can be traced as far as Bauchi State where a group of people lived in hill caves and had watchers atop the hill to watch for enemies. These people were called 'mutanen duwatsu' (literal translation in English from Hausa is 'the mountain people' or 'ba̠nyet tsok in Jju). It was believed that their migration was for the search of better hunting grounds. They migrated from the Bauchi state part of the Jos-Bauchi high plateau and settled on a hill called 'Hurruang' or Hurbuang (Tyap: A̱fabwang) in the Plateau state part of the area, in central Nigeria. The hill was already occupied by a tribe called the Afizere (also called 'Jarawa' by the Hausa), but the Afizere people left and lived on another hill called 'Tsok-kwon' (in Jju), probably same as Shere hills.
The Afizere also lay claims to migrating from the 'Miango' area, presently occupied by the Irigwe. The Ba̠jju, Irigwe, and Afizere tribes collectively called themselves 'Dangi' (meaning 'those of same stock', rendered in the Hausa language) because they share cultural and linguistic similarities.
Two brothers named Zampara and Wai were said to have left ‘Dangi’ settlement and migrated South of the Plateau. The Atsam (also known as 'Chawai') people of today are the descendants Wai. Wai settled at a place and named it Chawai. Considering that the forefathers of both the Ba̠jju and Chawai (Atsam) people had family ties, it made both of the nations affiliated.
Zampara migrated further and settled at Hurbuang, which is now called Ungwan Tabo. Zampara had a wife named Adama (who was a Fulani woman) and gave birth to two sons, Ba̠ranzan and A̠kad. When Zampara, their father died, A̠kad left his elder brother Ba̠ranzan and stayed near the hills. He did so and became the ancestor of the A̠takat people. That was how the A̠takat tribe got associated with the Ba̠jju. It was because of this close relationship that the Atakat and Ba̠jju people made it a tradition and a religious law never to intermarry.
Descendants of Ba̠ranzan
Ba̠ranzan had five sons namely:
A̠nkwak – was the eldest son of Ba̠ranzan. He had the following children: Ka̠murum, A̠kurdan, Kpunyai, A̠za̠wuru, Ka̠tsiik, Gatun, Byet, Duhuan, A̠tachab, Rika̠wa̠n, Chenchuuk, Rika̠yakwon, Zi̠bvong, Ka̠masa, A̠nkpang, and Byena.
Tuan – the second son had the following children: Zankirwa, A̠tutyen, Kukwan, Vongkpang, Zat, Furgyam, Sansun, Ka̠mantsok, Dinyring, A̠mankwo, Kpong, Zantun, and Dichu'a̠don.
A̠kadon – the third child had the following children: Tsoriyang, Wadon, Rebvok, A̠bvong, and Chiyua.
Kanshuwa – the fourth child had the following children: Jei, Dihwugwai, Zagwom, Ta̠bak, Baihom, Bairuap, and Zambyin.
Iduang – the fifth and last born of Ba̠ranzan had the following children: Zuturung, Zunkwa, Zansak, Dibyii, and A̠bvo.
However, some Ba̠jju and A̠takat people intermarried, and this caused the widespread death of 1970, Gaiya (2013). The Gado of Ba̠jju, along with his people, met with the Gado of A̠takat, along with his people, to discuss the crisis of frequent deaths of people of both tribes as a result of the intermarriages. They later reached a decision to abolish the law religiously and traditionally so that there would not be any consequence for the intermarriage. That was how the A̠takat and Ba̠jju people began to intermarry freely.
The previously mentioned Ba̠ranzan (son of Zampara, and brother of A̠kad) left Hurbuang and cleared a place by a riverside called 'Duccuu Chen'. He settled the Ka̠jju there (Ka̠jju was the initial name of the Ba̠jju). The name 'Ka̠jju' was derived from the name which Ba̠ranzan gave the new settlement, which was 'Ka̠zzu'.
Although it is unclear from oral history when the migration occurred, but evidence suggests that the Ba̠jju were in their current location since the early 1800s, Gaiya (2013).
There are many rites in Kajju land such as things like rain, farming, harvest, new house, pregnancy, and child-naming. Tyyi Tson (Euthanasia): Tyyi Tson means 'to give hungry rice' (hungry rice was a type of rice which the Bajju thought of as the most sacred and perhaps elite). This practice involved offering an elderly woman poisoned hungry rice (called 'Kasap') to end her suffering of physical infirmity. It was usually done by one of her children or her sister.
Nkut (witchcraft): This is the power to exert spiritual influence over another person. People who use Nkut are referred to as 'Akut', and are believed to have a second set of eyes. The first set allows one to see the physical, while the other is used to see into the spiritual realm.
Gajimale (water spirit): A gajimale comes out of rivers, or streams to seduce its victims by transforming into a good looking opposite sex of the victim. It was a belief that many rich people got their wealth from Gajimale, and in return, they gave children to it. Epilepsy (known as rong ncen meaning "fire of the river") was believed to be caused by the Gajimale.
A̠bvoi (or Abvwoi): The Bajju had a religious institution called the Abvoi. The leader of the Abvoi shrine was called the 'Gado Abvoi' or 'Dodo'. The 'Magajin Abvoi' is the one who translates the messages of Abvoi to the people. The celebrations involved masquerade dances.
Masquerades (Abusak): They represented the spirits in Abvoi celebrations. The Abusak danced with women and disciplines them by beating them.
Children were not to eat eggs and meat offered to them at other households, for it may be Nkut meat neither were they to go out in the heat of the midday sun, they may accept food from Akut.
Women:
Men:
Men could swear the following oaths:
Women could swear the following oaths:
Ba̠jju people like any other tribe in African believe in life after death in the sense that they acknowledge that ancestors performs some function to enable human happiness and prosperity. Their will is sought for at any time and for every purpose in life. People who seek to be in good terms with the ancestors show them respect in their families. It is also believed that the elder must eat first before any other person, and when drinking, they have to pour some drops on the ground for the ancestors to take.
The Ba̠jju people, speak the Jju language, which is one of the Central Plateau languages, and seems to be a variant of Tyap, alongside Gworok, Fantswam, Takad, Tyuku, Tyap proper, Sholyio and Tyeca̠rak; whose speakers are ethnically distinct.
The Ba̠jju people are governed by a traditional leader appointed by the Kaduna State government who governs the affairs of the people, whose headquarters is at Zonkwa (or A̠zunkwa).
The Ba̠jju paramount leader is called A̠gwam Ba̠jju. The first monarch was late His Royal Highness, A̠gwam Ba̠jju I, and the current one is His Royal Highness Luka Kogi Yabuwat.