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Home , Bakassi, Bekwarra, Calabar South, Cross River (Nigeria), Cross River State, Ebonyi State

THE FUND FOR PEACE Conflict Bulletin: State

Patterns and Trends, January 2012 - J u n e 2 0 1 5

Benedict Ayade, of the People’s Other issues reported in Cross River include page shows the relative distribution of Democratic Party (PDP) won the periodic outbreaks of inter-communal incidents from one LGA to the next from gubernatorial election in April 2015, to violence, cult violence, and piracy. January 2012 to June 2015. The trendline on replace outgoing Governor (also the next page shows the number of PDP). This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief incidents and fatalities over time. The bar snapshot of the trends and patterns of chart shows the relative trend of incidents For years, Cross River was the stage to a conflict risk factors at the State and LGA of insecurity by LGA per capita. territorial dispute between Nigeria and levels, drawing on the data available on the over the oil-rich P4P Digital Platform for Multi-Stakeholder The summaries draw on data collected by peninsula. After a controversial UN-backed Engagement (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). It ACLED, FFP’s UNLocK, the Council on ICJ verdict in 2002 and a comprehensive represents a compilation of the data from Foreign Relations’ NST, WANEP Nigeria, CSS/ resolution between the two nations in 2006, the sources listed below, not necessarily the ETH Zurich, NEEWS2015, and Nigeria Watch Abuja began to transfer authority of the opinions of FFP or any other organization integrated on the P4P platform. They also peninsula to Yaoundé, and Cameroon that collaborated on the production of this draw on data and information from eventually took full sovereignty of Bakassi in bulletin. “Violence in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” August 2013. by Patricia Taft and Nate Haken (Springer The screenshot of the heat map on this Press, April 2015).

Reported Violence* Overview of

Fatalities per Capita (Jan 2012-June 2015)

Worse

The coastal state of Cross River is home to

approximately 2.9 million people (2006

census), predominantly of Efik, Ejagham and

Better background. One of the fastest

Delta Edo Bayelsa Cross River Rivers Imo Ondo IbomAkwa Abia growing states in Nigeria, Cross River is

endowed with vast mineral resources,

plentiful arable land, and a growing number

of tourist attractions.

* Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) in Cross River State 2012-2015 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: CROSS RIVER STATE

Conflict Risk Factors in Cross River State* Abi

90 (Cross River Central Senatorial District)

80 Incidents Key LGA Risk Factors 70 Fatalities > Inter-Communal/Land Conflict 60 > Criminality 50

40 In 2015, there were only two reported 30 incidents of violence. In February, a church 20 pastor and his aide were killed by unknown 10 perpetrators, and in May a woman was shot 0 dead by a soldier in a raid on petrol black 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 marketers.

April and May in 2014 saw a spike in * Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) intercommunal violence over land disputes. Clashes were reported between the people Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Cross River State (by LGA)* of Usumutong and Ediba over a piece of land, causing security forces to intervene to

restore order, with fatalities estimated at 15

Jan-Jun 2015 people. Three civilians were killed a month later in similar clashes over farmland

Worse Jul-Dec 2014 Jan-Jun 2014 boundaries. Jul-Dec 2013 Jan-Jun 2013 During this incident over a dozen people Jul-Dec 2012 Jan-Jun 2012 were reportedly killed in the course of a week. A similar clash led to seven deaths in March 2013. Separately, a police inspector

was also killed by armed robbers in

September 2013. Better

In 2012-2013, long-standing land Bakassi M/S Abi Yakurr disagreements in Abi sometimes turned violent. In January 2013, a community in LGA in neighboring reportedly clashed with communities in Abi.

FFP is committed to promoting One of the data sources utilized in The data used in this analysis was sustainable human security around the summary was derived from the pulled from the integrated digital the world, and is the International UNLocK network in Nigeria, a platform for multistakeholder Coordinating Partner on Partners partnership between The Fund for engagement developed by P4P, an for Peace (P4P), an initiative Peace and the Institute of Human initiative supported by Partnership supported by PIND. FFP has been Rights and Humanitarian Law Initiatives for the working with local civil society in (IHRHL). (PIND). For a deeper understanding Nigeria to develop the UNLocK of the conflict risk factors, visit network since 2010. www.p4p-nigerdelta.org.

Disclaimer The content of this report represents a summary of the incidents reported in the data, not the opinions of the organizations that collaborated on the compilation of this information.

www.fundf o r p ea c e . o r g 2 THE FUND FOR PEACE NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: CROSS RIVER STATE

Bakassi /South

(Cross River South Senatorial District) (Cross River South Senatorial District)

Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors security forces after the group began a > Cross-Border Conflict Issues > Cult Clashes protest over a local election issue. > Piracy > Political Tensions Witnesses reported the killings may have > Criminality > Protests been unintentional. In November an > Intra-Communal Conflict (Leadership) explosion was reported at the PDP In 2015, several were killed when youths > Militancy/Piracy Secretariat. attacked a group of ex-militants. > Kidnapping

Cult clashes resulted in a number of In December 2014, gunmen reportedly There were several protests by different fatalities in 2014, including four people who attacked a filling station, shooting three. groups in 2015. In January, the National were killed in a shoot-out between two rival Association of Proprietors of Private Schools cult groups; the Vikings and KK in August. In April 2013, five were reportedly killed by protested taxes. Academic staff at the Crime also continued to cause insecurity in Cameroonian gendarmes for refusing to University of Calabar staged a protest at the , with gunmen attacking a vacate an area ruled to now be part of office of the Independent National Electoral petrol station killing six people in late Cameroon. In July, it was reported that Commission in April. Also in April, there was December and taking off with several police had broken up and arrested a protest by members of the National Youth million Naira. In May of that year, a lecturer members of an arms dealing syndicate. Corps Service to demand their allowances was also killed by suspected by suspected Then, in August, a police officer and a for activities carried out during the cultists at the University of Calabar. civilian were allegedly killed in a revenge elections, and in June patients at the attack by suspected pirates after having University of Calabar Teaching Hospital Predominant issues around the capital city been targeted by police operations. protested the high cost of treatment. of Calabar related to crime, domestic

violence, piracy, as well as clashes between In 2012, there was a protest over the There were also many reports of unknown gangs, cults or political groups in 2012 and demarcation of the Bakassi peninsula. gunmen attacking or robbing people of the 2013. In March 2012, four were reportedly community, especially policemen. In June, killed in a clash between Vikings and KKK militants launched an attack on the Police members. In June 2012, six were reportedly Marine Base and killed at least two killed in a similar clash. In August, as many policemen and looted sensitive documents. as 28 were reportedly kidnapped and later Later in the month, the Air force bombed rescued by the navy. In September 2012, waterways outside of Calabar in an attempt four were reportedly killed in a PDP intra- to target militants and pirates. party dispute. Furthermore, as the city is the

political capital of the state, there were a During 2014, protests were prevalent in the number of protests in 2012-2013, including capital with a range of groups advocating one by the by employees of the state’s for change. In May, 2014 students staged a internal revenue service (September 2012), protest against the abduction of the Chibok students and staff at the Cross River school girls. In May and September, groups University of Technology and the University of taxi drivers and women staged separate of Calabar (September 2012, August 2013, protests opposing high LGA and state October 2013), and those protesting over taxation rates. In November, former public the Bakassi issue (October 2012). servants in Cross River State local

government protested over non-payment of In June 2013, two people were reportedly allowances. Further, a traditional ruler was killed in a clash between pirates and police. reportedly killed in August of 2014. Several were injured in an intra-communal

leadership tussle within the Efut kingdom. Pre-election violence related to both state In October, several were killed in a shootout and federal elections was also evident between militants and security forces and in during 2014. In August, three students from a separate incident that month, a man was the University of Calabar were killed by abducted by pirates.

www.fundf o r p ea c e . o r g 3 THE FUND FOR PEACE NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: CROSS RIVER STATE

Odukpani Ogoja Yakurr (Cross River South Senatorial District) (Cross River North Senatorial District) (Cross River Central Senatorial District)

Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors > Inter-Communal Violence > Cult Clashes > Inter-Communal/Land Conflict > Political Violence > Criminality > Political Violence > Criminality In November of 2014 three people were There were issues of crime and vigilante reportedly killed in a political clash during a justice in 2013, a deadly clash between Election-related violence sparked in early PDP ward congress. youths and police in October 2013, and a 2015. In March, there was a two-day clash violent clash between two rival cult groups between Labor Party (LP) and People’s In the line graph above, the spike in in November 2013. Additionally, the LGA Democratic Party (PDP) supporters. Four fatalities in the first half of 2012 was was hit by heavy rainstorms in May 2012, were left dead and several injured. The associated with a large-scale inter- reportedly killing three and displacing clash began with PDP members barricading communal land dispute in May of that year. thousands. a road to stop an LP rally. In April, one died People from a community in neighboring and two were injured during the reportedly clashed with a gubernatorial and state house of assembly community in , destroying elections. churches and killing over forty villagers. In April 2013, eight were reportedly killed in a clash between two communities over a piece of farmland. In June 2013, four people in one community were reportedly killed by the people of another after a suspect was apprehended for allegedly stealing.

www.fundf o r p ea c e . o r g 4 THE FUND FOR PEACE