The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Akwa Ibom

July 2014

Ikot Ekpene, and the coastal Local Government Areas (LGAs) to the south, LGA Level Summary including issues of land conflict, political January 2012 - June 2014 tensions, protests, and abductions. Overall, between 2012-2013, Akwa Ibom was the Mbo least violent state in the Niger Delta region as measured by reported incidents per Mbo LGA experienced intra- and inter- capita. In May 2014, major incidents communal tensions in 2012-2013. In May included gunmen reportedly firing bullets 2012, Ebughu and Effiat communities into the home of the Vice-Chancellor of clashed, reportedly killing one. In January University of and an inter-communal 2013, seven reportedly died in a separate clash leading to the beheadings of three clash over farming land. In March 2013, people. there was a reported clash in Unyenge community. In November 2013, two women This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief were killed in a renewed clash among kwa Ibom has a population of about snapshot of the trends and patterns of feuding communities. Mbo LGA has also 3.9 million people according to the conflict risk factors at the State and LGA been affected by piracy including reported 2006 census. Predominantly levels, drawing on the data available on the incidents in February 2012 and August 2013, inhabited by the , the P4P Digital Platform for Multi-Stakeholder leading the government to increase its naval state is also home to Annang, Oron, Engagement (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). presence in the coastal waters. In July and Obolo and Eket communities. Endowed with September 2013, it was reported that there large deposits of crude oil, condensate and The screenshot of the heat map above Reported Violence gas, Akwa Ibom is among the largest shows the relative distribution of incidents petroleum producers in . Agriculture by LGA between 2012 and mid-2014. The Incidents per million people, 2012 - 2013 also constitutes an important income- bar chart shows the relative violence from generating activity in the state, particularly one Niger Delta state to the next. The trend the farming of palm produce, rubber, cocoa, line on the next page shows the number of rice, cassava, yam, plantain, banana, maize, incidents and fatalities over time. The and timber. second bar chart shows the trend of incidents of insecurity by LGA per capita. Violence in the state was elevated during the gubernatorial elections of 2011. After The summaries draw on data collected by the re-election of Governor Godswill Obot FFP’s UNLocK, the Council on Foreign Akpabio (People’s Democratic Party), Relations’ NST, WANEP Nigeria, CSS/ETH s r Better a Worse ta s do r e do o ia m

l l Edo e however, the per capita level of violence Zurich, Nigeria Watch, and ACLED integrated v Imo m b e e E v i n I Abia o

Delta A y i Ondo b D a Rivers R R O I dropped significantly. In 2013 violence on the P4P platform. Bayelsa B s a ro kw Cross River Cross trended upward, with incidents reported C AkwaIbom A around the capital city of Uyo, the town of Nigeria Watch Tally of Incidents Resulting in Fatalities

The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk in 2012-2013 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. Conflict Bulletin: Akwa Ibom State

Conflict Risk Factors in Akwa Ibom State* Reported Incidents of Insecurity Per Capita (by LGA) 70

60 Incidents

50 Fatalities 40 30 20 10 0 Better Worse

* Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) Jan-Jun 12 Jul-Dec 12 Jan-Jun 13 Jul-Dec 13 Jan-Jun 14 were violent protests over the lack of a machete. has a relatively high concentration of cult amenities and compensation by companies groups and cultist activities. In October operating in the area. In early 2014, there 2012, four people died in a clash between were no reported incidents of insecurity. Apart from alleged irregularities reported the Black Axe and Vikings cult groups.

during the April 2012 PDP primaries, Ikot Separately, at least one former official was Uyo reportedly killed for political reasons in Epkene LGA had few reported deadly Around the capital city of Uyo, there were a incidents until the latter half of 2013. In 2012. In August 2013, there was a gun battle series of killings reported in 2012-2013, October, there was a death reported which between the navy and a group of pirates, including that of a former government was related to the failed rescue of an killing six suspected pirates. In the first half official in October 2012. A violent clash abducted politician and, in December, a of 2014, there were no reported issues among three rival cult groups was also clash over land that claimed one life. There related to insecurity. reported in October 2013, allegedly killing was also a cultist clash at Akwa Ibom State Ini seven. Additionally, in 2013 there were Polytechnic, reportedly leaving two people multiple violent protests, including one in dead in March 2014. Three brothers were reportedly killed by

April against a company’s employment gunmen in March 2012 after a clash over policies. The University of Uyo (UNIUYO) Eket the construction of a dam in their village. was forced to briefly shut down in June after The second largest city in the state, Eket Three people were reportedly killed during a protest turned violent, destroying school experienced issues of extortion and youth the local government elections in June 2012. property and killing several students. Also, criminality. Several people were reportedly in May 2014, it was reported that the home killed during this period, including a village of the Vice Chancellor of the University had elder in October 2012 and the local PDP Two people were reportedly killed during been attacked by militants, allegedly in chair in May 2013. In October 2013, there the LGA PDP primaries in April 2012. retaliation for inflammatory statements was a protest against a company operating According to news reports, several other made by her against a known militant group in the area over the non-payment of LGAs also experienced political violence and organized criminal gangs. A couple of expected compensation. In March 2014 a protests and murders were also reported in during this period. suspected murderer was reportedly lynched the first half of 2014. by a mob. June 2014, a cult clash led to the deaths of two people, who were found in a gutter with several machete wounds. In April 2013, a violent land dispute between Issues in Ibesikpo Asuntan mainly related to an Ibeno community and another in domestic violence, sexual violence, and child Oron neighboring Eket LGA led to the deaths of abuse. In April 2014, a 35-year old man five people and the destruction of dozens of Among LGAs in Akwa Ibom, Oron reportedly reportedly beheaded two of his cousins with homes, displacing several families.

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