The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Rivers State
August 2013
criminality, and uneven economic snapshot of the trends and patterns of development continues to pose a challenge conflict risk factors at the State and LGA to sustainable peace and human security. levels, drawing on the data available on the Following is a closer look at the patterns of P4P Digital Platform for Multi-Stakeholder conflict risk at the local level. Engagement (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). The screenshot of the heat map above shows Since the end of 2010, the number of the relative distribution of incidents from incidences of conflict risk factors has one LGA to the next from 2012-2013. The decreased to some extent, with the notable trend-line below shows the number of exception of May 2012 when criminal incidents and fatalities by month. The bar violence was particularly high. However, the chart shows the trend of incidents of number of fatalities associated with these insecurity by LGA per capita. The summaries conflict risk factors continues to fluctuate draw on data collected by UNLocK, the from month to month. Of the 23 Local Council on Foreign Relations, WANEP Government Areas (LGAs) in Rivers State, Nigeria, CSS/ETH Zurich, and Nigeria Watch ince its independence from the those with the highest number of reported integrated on the P4P platform. British in 1960, Nigeria has incidents per capita resulting in fatalities experienced pressures on peace and were Ahoada East, Khana, Obio/Akpor, Port stability. Faced with insurgencies, Harcourt, Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, LGA Level Summary communal, ethnic and religious tensions, and Emuoha. Since May 2013, political human rights abuses, and corruption, the tensions have been elevated in Rivers State Ahoada East country continues to be challenged by a after the disputed Nigerian Governor’s variety of threats to human security. Africa’s Forum election, in which Governor Amaechi In Ahoada East, the main pressures on most populous country, Nigeria is roughly was the incumbent. On July 9, a fight broke human security stemmed from corruption, divided between a concentration of out in the Rivers State House of Assembly criminality, and cult violence. During the Christians in the South and a predominantly following a move to impeach the Speaker of first half of 2012, there was an attempted Muslim population in the North. The three the House, who is considered to be a jailbreak that reportedly led to multiple largest ethnic groups are the Hausa, Igbo supporter of Governor Amaechi. In mid-July, casualties. Other clashes between police and Yoruba. Prior to an Amnesty Program when the governors from four northern and criminals occurred in both 2012 and that was implemented in 2009, a rebellion in states came to Rivers to visit Amaechi to 2013 and led to several deaths. Additionally, the Niger Delta disrupted the economy and show “solidarity,” some protestors as Nigeria experienced the most damaging claimed many lives. Since then, a separate demonstrated at the airport. Concerned rainy season in decades, flooding in the insurgency has broken out in the Northeast, about the polarization and political second half of 2012 exacerbated pressure killing thousands. maneuvering in the run-up to the 2015 on the state’s resources. At least 12 people elections, the Niger Delta Civil Society were reported to have lost their lives, and Rivers, among the largest of the oil- Coalition organized a rally on July 30 to property and crops were destroyed. producing Nigerian states, had been at the promote freedom of assembly and According to media reports, incidents of heart of the Niger Delta militancy until 2009. democracy. water-borne diseases and food scarcity also Now it beset with a different array of issues increased during this time. as former combatants have turned to This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief
The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk in Rivers State 2012-2013 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org.
www. fund for peace .org 1 The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Rivers State
Conflict Risk Factors in Rivers State* Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Rivers State (by LGA)
30 Incidents 2012 H1 25 Fatalities 2012 H2 20 2013 H1
15
10
5
0 Better Worse
* Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org)
protests broke out. Thirteen people were reported during this period include flooding, Khana arrested over the killings. criminality, kidnappings, and gang violence. In October 2012, severe floods caused the In Khana LGA, there continued to be Port Harcourt displacement of entire communities leading communal tensions, particularly around the to inflation, starvation and serious issue of land. There were also cult clashes Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, difficulties with resettlement. In May 2013, and criminality including robbery and has the highest population of all the state’s unknown gunman reportedly tortured and kidnapping. Land competition reportedly LGAs. Given the high density of the urban killed an aid to the former PDP chairman turned violent in 2012 when two population, conflict risk issues include Chief Godspower Ake. communities in Ogoniland disagreed over robberies, kidnappings, and gang/cult- whether and how a parcel of land should be related violence. As the political capital of Emuoha developed by the state government as a the state, protests and demonstrations are banana plantation. These and related issues common. In the first half of 2012, large In Emuoha, there were numerous cases of reportedly continued into 2013. protests broke out over the government’s abductions and gang violence. A local removal of a fuel subsidy program. Later in monarch was reportedly kidnapped for Obio/Akpor the year, there were smaller protests ransom. The clash between Dewell and reported over poor delivery of public Degbam cult groups, which was reported in In Obio/Akpor, reports included criminality, services. In 2013, there was increased bordering Ikwerre also reportedly impacted cult violence, domestic violence and child political tension between those who Emuoha. support Governor Amaechi and those who abuse. Additionally, a political protest FFP is committed to promoting sustain- do not. occurred when the local government able human security around the world, chairman, who is considered to be an and is the International Coordinating Partner on P4P, an initia- opponent of Governor Amaechi, was Ikwerre tive supported by PIND. FFP has been working with local civil suspended by the Rivers State House of society in Nigeria to develop the UNLocK network since 2010. Assembly for mismanagement of public As in many other LGAs, the predominant funds. In response to ensuing violence from issues included gang violence, criminality, One of the data sources utilized in the summary was protestors demanding his reinstatement, police corruption, and land competition. derived from the UNLocK network in NIgeria, a partnership police occupied the Obio/Akpor secretariat. There were a few reports of tension between The Fund for Peace and the Institute of Human Rights between pastoralists and farmers and at and Humanitatian Law (IHRHL). Four students from UNIPORT University least one clash between two cult gangs were lynched by a mob on October 5, 2012. (Dewell and Degbam). The data used in this analysis was pulled The reasons for the lynching are still from the integrated digital platform for unclear, but the victims were accused of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni multistakeholder engagement developed by Partners for Peace (P4P), an initiative having stolen electronics. After a YouTube supported by PIND. For a deeper understanding of the conflict video of the lynching was released, violent In Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni the primary issues risk factors, visit www.p4p-nigerdelta.org.
www. fund for peace .org 2 The Fund for Peace