Cross River State

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

The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Cross River State

Patterns and Trends, 2012-2014 peninsula. After a controversial UN-backed distribution of incidents between 2012 and ICJ verdict in 2002 and a comprehensive 2014. The bar chart shows the relative resolution between the two nations in 2006, violence from one Niger Delta state to the Abuja began to transfer authority of the next. The trend-line on the next page shows peninsula to Yaoundé, and Cameroon the number of incidents and fatalities over eventually took full sovereignty of Bakassi in time. The second bar chart shows the trend August 2013. of incidents of insecurity by Niger Delta states per capita. The summaries draw on Otherwise, after two relatively peaceful data collected by FFP’s UNLocK, the Council years in 2010-2011, Cross River saw an on Foreign Relations’ NST, WANEP Nigeria, increase in violence in 2012-2013, with two CSS/ETH Zurich, NEEWS/TMG, Nigeria notable peaks in the first half of 2012 and Watch, and ACLED integrated on the P4P first half of 2013. Overall, 47 violent platform. They also draw on data and incidents were reported that led to the information from “Violence in Nigeria: deaths of over 170 people, particularly Patterns and Trends,” by Patricia Taft and around the capital city of Calabar to the Nate Haken (Springer Press, April 2015). o the southeast of Nigeria, the south and in the Yakurr, Ogoja and Abi Local coastal state of Cross River is home Government areas (LGAs). While the nature to approximately 2.9 million people of violence in the capital varies, land (2006 census), predominantly of Efik, competition and communal clashes remain Reported Violence Ejagham and Bekwarra background. One of the primary causes of fatalities in LGAs the fastest growing states in Nigeria, Cross outside of Calabar according to the data. Incidents per million people, 2012 - 2014

River is endowed with vast mineral resources, plentiful arable land, and a This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief

growing number of tourist attractions. snapshot of the trends and patterns of Worse conflict risk factors at the State and LGA Liyel Imoke, of the People’s Democratic levels, drawing on the data available on the Party (PDP), was elected governor of Cross P4P Digital Platform for Multi-Stakeholder

River in August 2008 after his first electoral Engagement (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). It victory of April 2007 was annulled by an represents a compilation of the data from

Election Appeal Tribunal. He was re-elected sources listed below, not necessarily

Better

in February 2012. Benedict Ayade (PDP) opinions of FFP or any other organization

Edo

Imo

Abia Delta

won the 2015 gubernatorial election in April. that collaborated on the production of this Ondo Rivers

bulletin. Bayelsa Cross River Cross For years, Cross River was the stage to a Akwa Ibom heated territorial dispute between Nigeria The screenshot of the heat map on this *Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web and Cameroon over the oil-rich Bakassi page shows the relative geographic Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org)

The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk in Cross River State 2012-2014 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. Conflict Bulletin: Cross River State

Conflict Risk Factors in Cross River State* Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Cross River State*

100 Fatalities 2014 H2 2014 H1

80 Incidents Worse 2013 H2 2013 H1 2012 H2 2012 H1 60

0 Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Calabar Bakassi Abi Ogoja Odukpani Yakurr

2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 Better Mun./S

* Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org)

groups of taxi drivers and women staged police had broken up and arrested LGA Level Summary separate protests opposing high LGA and members of an arms dealing syndicate. state taxation rates. In November, former Then, in August, a police officer and a Calabar Municipal/South public servants in Cross River State local civilian were allegedly killed in a revenge (Cross River South Senatorial District) government protested over non-payment of attack by suspected pirates after having allowances. been targeted by police operations. In

December 2014, gunmen reportedly The largest and capital city of Cross River, Pre-election violence related to both state attacked a filling station, shooting three, Calabar, has experienced the most and federal elections was also evident including a police officer. No motive was sustained levels of per capita violence in the during 2014. Three students from the given for the attack. state during 2012-2014. Predominant issues University of Calabar were reportedly killed related to crime, domestic violence, piracy, by security forces after the group began a as well as clashes between gangs, cults or Abi protest over a local election issue. political groups. In March 2012, four were (Cross River Central Senatorial District) Witnesses reported the killings may have reportedly killed in a clash between Vikings been unintentional. In November a and KKK cult (gang) members. In June 2012, In 2012-2013, long-standing land explosion was reported at the PDP six were reportedly killed in a similar cult disagreements in Abi sometimes turned Secretariat. clash. Additionally, in September 2012, four violent. In January 2013, a community in

were reportedly killed in a PDP intra-party Ikwo LGA in neighboring Ebonyi State Cult clashes resulted in a number of dispute. Furthermore, as the city is the reportedly clashed with communities in Abi. fatalities in 2014, including four people who political capital of the state, there were a During this incident over a dozen people were killed in a shoot-out between two rival number of protests in 2012-2013, led either were reportedly killed in the course of a cult groups; the Vikings and KKK in August. by employees of the state’s internal revenue week. A similar clash led to seven deaths in Crime also continued to cause insecurity in service (September 2012), university March 2013. Separately, a police inspector Calabar South, with gunmen attacking a students and staff (September 2012, August was also killed by armed robbers in petrol station killing six people in late 2013, October 2013), or those protesting September 2013. December and taking off with several over the Bakassi issue (October 2012). million Naira. Finally, the city experienced a landslide in April and May in 2014 there was an increase

September 2013, reportedly killing 10. in intercommunal violence over land Bakassi disputes. Clashes were reported between During 2014, protests were prevalent in the (Cross River South Senatorial District) the people of Usumutong and Ediba over a capital with a range of groups advocating piece of land, causing security forces to for change. In May, over 1000 students In April 2013, five were reportedly killed by intervene to restore order, with fatalities reportedly staged a protest against Cameroonian gendarmes for refusing to estimated at 15 people. Three civilians were government inaction to rescue the abducted vacate an area ruled to now be part of killed a month later in similar clashes over Chibok school girls. In May and September, Cameroon. In July, it was reported that farmland boundaries.

www.fundforpeace.org 2 The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Cross River State

Ogoja Odukpani intentionally hit by a truck during the unrest (Cross River North Senatorial District) (Cross River South Senatorial District) as part of a pre-mediated attack.

The LGA was hit by heavy rainstorms in May In the line graph above, the spike in Yakurr 2012, reportedly killing three and displacing fatalities in the first half of 2012 was (Cross River Central Senatorial District) thousands. Additionally, there were issues associated with a large-scale inter- of crime and vigilante justice in 2013, a communal land dispute in May of that year. Apart from a robbery that led to the death deadly clash between youths and police in People from a community in neighboring of three in Ugep in January 2012, the LGA October 2013, and a violent clash between Akwa Ibom state reportedly clashed with a has seen a handful of inter-communal land two rival cult groups in November 2013. No community in Odukpani, destroying disputes. In April 2013, eight were further incidents were reported for 2014. churches and killing over forty villagers. reportedly killed in a clash between two communities over a piece of farmland. In Though reported incidents remained June 2013, four people in one community relatively low throughout 2013 and 2014 in were reportedly killed by the people of Odukpani, in November 2014 three people another after a suspect was apprehended were reportedly killed in a political clash. It for allegedly stealing. No further incidents was alleged that one of the victims was were reported for 2014.

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