of conflict in the country. In addition, some families that are deemed ‘settlers’ in reality have ancestral ties to the land, having settled in the area generations ago, but are nevertheless regarded as having inferior entitlement. The constitution has not managed to resolve this contradiction and the dichotomy therefore creates unequal access to social services at the local government level. The example that was cited in many states such as Plateau, Nassarawa, Adamawa and Benue was unequal access to education, whereby indigenes have free access while settlers are charged for accessing education. This situation naturally creates animosities in the communities, since the national constitution provides for access to free primary, secondary, university and adult education. 188. Some states are beginning to address the indigene-settler dichotomy by reinterpreting the contradictions in the national constitution. Indeed, Niger State has sought to reverse the application of the Federal Character Principle, which has historically emphasised indigeneity at the expense of residency by granting indigeneship to those who have resided in the state for eight years. Consequently, those who meet the residency requirements can access all the benefits of the state, including contesting for state and federal appointments. However, this is the exception rather than the rule. In states such as Plateau, Borno, Adamawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, a number of stakeholders expressed frustration at the lack of citizenship rights as a result of the application of this principle. 189. Although structural in nature, some conflicts have also manifested themselves in the form of religious intolerance between Muslims and Christians, especially in the northeastern, north-central and northwestern parts of Nigeria. In Borno State, for example, the CRM was informed that a religious upheaval in 2006 resulted from the publication in Denmark of a cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed. The Muslim community in Borno subsequently burnt down a Christian church in revenge for this incident. The conflict receded only at the intervention of the Borno State governor. This is not an isolated case: throughout the northern and central states there have been numerous episodes of communal conflicts arising from religious intolerance between Christians and Muslims. 190. The Nigerian constitution guarantees freedom of religion while recognising Nigeria as a secular state. But religion, like ethnicity, is regularly politicised by the political elite as a tool to achieve the narrow political goals of both individuals and groups in Nigeria. There was a bitter national debate when the northern state of Zamfara became the first state to implement the Islamic Sharia law in its entirety in January 2000. By the end of 2001, such other northern states as Kebbi, Sokoto, Niger, Kaduna, Bauchi and Borno had fully established Islamic law. The imposition of strict Islamic law in multifaith communities has attracted much debate and criticism in a country already considered a hotbed of religious conflicts. 191. Closely linked to the issue of social inequalities and poverty is the issue of youth unemployment, delinquency and alienation that ultimately creates opportunities for abuse by political elites and business interests. During elections, disgruntled and abandoned youths are recruited by unscrupulous politicians who practise ‘sit-tight’ politics in order to cause violence and 83