The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin:

January 2015

associated ethnic sentiments across zoning January 2012-December 2014. The trend- areas. The results of the November 2014 line below shows the number of incidents PDP primary elections upset the current and fatalities. The bar chart shows the trend zoning rotation and ignited fresh concerns of incidents of insecurity by LGA per capita. over the perceived disenfranchisement of The summaries draw on 2012-2014 data certain ethnic groups. Following these collected by FFP’s UNLocK, the Council on results, the Movement for the Survival of Foreign Relations’ NST, WANEP , CSS/ the (MOSOP) made the ETH Zurich, Nigeria Watch, and ACLED announcement that it would form an integrated on the P4P platform. “indigenous authority” independent of the state and federal government. Also of note, and in a surprise move, the powerful former LGA Level Summary militant group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) apparently made a statement endorsing the mong the largest of the oil-producing opposition candidate in the general election ( Senatorial District) Nigerian states, Rivers had been at after claiming dissatisfaction with the the heart of the Niger Delta militancy current president and the PDP. Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State, until 2009. Now the state remains has the highest population of all the state’s beset with a different array of political, These developments have taken place in the LGAs. Given the high density of the urban communal, and criminal issues, including context of increased political tension in the population, conflict risk issues include cult and gang-related violence, protests, and state that must be monitored closely robberies, kidnappings, and gang/cult- kidnappings. Rivers is a pivotal state in the leading up to the elections and in the related violence. As the political capital of upcoming February 2015 Nigeria general aftermath. the state, protests and demonstrations are elections and has experienced an elevated common. In the first half of 2012, large risk of election-related violence throughout This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief protests broke out over the government’s 2014. snapshot of the trends and patterns of removal of a fuel subsidy program. Later in conflict risk factors at the State and LGA the year, there were smaller protests Since May 2013, political tensions have been levels, drawing on the data available on the reported over the delivery of public services. high in Rivers State after the disputed P4P Digital Platform for Multi-Stakeholder In the first half of 2013, there was increased Nigerian Governor’s Forum election. Engagement (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). It political tension between supporters and Governor Amaechi, who is from Ikwerre represents a compilation of the data from detractors of Governor Amaechi, including a (Rivers East Senatorial District), has been in the sources listed below, not necessarily the protest where police fired tear gas on a power for eight years. Formerly part of the opinions of FFP or any other organization reported crowd of 1,000 trying to storm the PDP, he switched affiliation to the APC in that collaborated on the production of this State House Assembly building. Separately, November 2013. An issue of concern bulletin. The screenshot of the heat map later in the year two soldiers and two leading up to the general elections is the above shows the relative distribution of civilians were reported killed by fleeing current zoning formula in the state and incidents from one LGA to the next from gunmen associated with the Movement for

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

Conflict Risk Factors in Rivers State* Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Rivers State (by LGA)

140 Fatalities Incidents

120 Worse

100

80

60

40 Better 20

0 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 H1 H2 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014

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

the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) pastoralists and farmers and at least one rival cult groups also left four dead during a while cult violence flared in December, clash between the two cult gangs, Dewell clash that reportedly lasted a week in May resulting in the deaths of at least two police and Degbam. In early 2014, police 2014. In August, it was reported that at least officers and several civilians during a bus reportedly arrested 320 people suspected three people were killed when two rival cult robbery. Political tensions continued into to be affiliated with Boko Haram. In groups clashed. In October, a student 2014 with protests for and against the September, nine people were reported protest turned deadly when a clash candidacy of Justice Daisy Okocha as Rivers killed in a turf battle among members of the between student protesters of a security State’s administrative Chief Judge. As of this Islanders, Dewell and Degbam cult groups. guards at their university. The clash began writing, Governor Amaechi has not At the end of November, nine people, after the demonstrations against an alleged appointed her, despite the National Judicial including PDP and APC supporters, were assault of a fellow students at the hands of Council’s recommendation that he do so. In shot dead by gunmen suspected to be security personnel. May 2014, a man was reportedly kidnapped cultists. Reported among the victims was a and killed by his four abductors after chieftain of APC. Eleme collecting a ransom from his family. In (Rivers South-East Senatorial District) August, business and commercial activities Khana

were halted following clashes between APC (Rivers South-East Senatorial District) and PDP supporters ahead of the planned In March 2012, a solider apparently shot

visit of Governor Amaechi to Obio/Akpor and killed a boy after he reportedly threw a In Khana LGA, there continued to be LGA. In late November, it was reported that bottle in the direction the soldier's car, communal tensions, particularly around the nearly a thousand Ogoni youth protested resulting in a protest by community youth issue of land. There were also cult clashes the APC’s decision to nominate a candidate over the death. In 2013, cult violence was and criminality including robbery and for governor who was not their preferred blamed for violence and deaths, most kidnapping. Land competition reportedly choice, while earlier in the month, arsons notably in May when two people were turned violent in 2012 when two set fire to the PDP headquarters, although reported killed in a clash between two rival communities in Ogoniland disagreed over no one was formally charged in the groups. Several robberies during the year whether and how a parcel of land should be aftermath. also resulted in deaths, with a reported developed by the state government as a three people being killed after an attempted banana plantation. In 2013, police arrests break-in on a residential building. In 2012 Ikwerre connected with cult violence predominated and 2014, multiple kidnappings were (Rivers East Senatorial District) in the beginning of the year while a land reported, including that of a priest and a seizure related to the development of a businessman. In November, a communal As in other LGAs, predominant issues plantation sparked tensions in late May. In clash between and Onne youths over included gang violence, criminality, police January 2014, political tensions spiked when land reportedly led to two deaths. corruption, and land competition. In 2013, suspected militants opened fire on a pro- there were reports of tension between Amaechi rally. Communal tensions between

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

Emohua Four students from UNIPORT University the attack was not indicated. (Rivers East Senatorial District) were lynched by a mob on October 5, 2012. The reasons for the lynching are still Asari-Toru unclear, but the victims were accused of In , there were numerous cases of having stolen electronics. After a YouTube ( Senatorial District) abductions and gang violence. A local video of the lynching was released, violent monarch was reportedly kidnapped for protests broke out. Thirteen people were Although relatively calm in 2012, reports of ransom in April 2013 resulted in the deaths arrested over the killings. Separately, in kidnappings and abductions spiked in Asari- of at least two bystanders who were shot by December, at least five people were killed Toru in 2013, beginning in August with the the kidnappers. The clash between Dewell when members of a cult group purportedly kidnapping of four expatriates. Reportedly and Degbam cult groups in bordering went on a house-to-house rampage, on their way to work on a government- Ikwerre also reportedly impacted Emohua. shooting civilians while looking for owned fish farm, four Thai nationals and Tension between political groups escalated unspecified individuals. two Nigerians were forced into a car and in December, 2013, with a clash between driven away at gunpoint. While the two PDP and APC supporters. In March and April At a pro-Amaechi rally in January 2014, Nigerians were released immediately, a 2014, cult violence, including clashes suspected police officers shot a senator of stand-off between local police and the between the Islanders and the Icelanders Rivers South-East constituency with rubber kidnappers ensued for a week, with the reportedly killed several people. In bullets during a speech. Police denied their expats eventually released. In September November, in a suspected reprisal attack on involvement in the incident. Protests 2013, a clash reportedly broke out at a a local community, two people were erupted from the senator’s supporters funeral between two rival groups, known as reportedly killed by a cult group. immediately following the incident. White Chelsea and Kegema Unity Forum,

Temporarily disrupting traffic, community that left three dead although the reason for Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni youths staged a protest in February 2014, the fight was unclear. White Cheslea, (Rivers West Senatorial District) over claims that an oil company had seized identified by local news sources as a cult a portion of their farmland. Other 2014 group, is suspected to have political In Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni the primary issues incidents included the shooting deaths of connections in the LGA. In November 2014, reported during this period include flooding, three school children, four policemen, a at least two were reported killed in a cult- criminality, kidnappings, and gang violence. regional bank manager, and a driver by related clash over supremacy rights. In October 2012, severe floods caused the unknown gunmen and armed robbers. displacement of entire communities leading to inflation, starvation and serious (Rivers East Senatorial District) difficulties with resettlement. In May 2013, East unknown gunman reportedly tortured and (Rivers West Senatorial District) Incidents of insecurity in Etche increased killed an aid to the former PDP chairman substantially from 2012 to 2014, from one Chief Godspower Ake. In July and October In , the main pressures on reported incident the first year to eight this 2014, cult-related violence and attacks human security stemmed from corruption, past year. In mid-2012, it was reported that purportedly killed at least 30 people. criminality, and cult violence. During the nine policemen were arrested for the death

first half of 2012, there was an attempted of a community pastor while he was in Obio/Akpor jailbreak that reportedly led to multiple custody. In 2013, a long-standing conflict (Rivers East Senatorial District) casualties. Other clashes between police over the allocation of oil profits from and criminals occurred in both 2012 and disputed land erupted between two In Obio/Akpor, reports included criminality, 2013 and led to several deaths. Additionally, families. In February 2014, it was reported cult violence, domestic violence and child as Nigeria experienced the most damaging that an APC chairman was assassinated abuse. Additionally, a political protest rainy season in decades, flooding in the although no further details were given. In occurred when the local government second half of 2012 exacerbated pressure May, cultist violence reportedly killed at chairman, who is considered to be an on the state’s resources. At least 12 people least ten in a local community in the opponent of Governor Amaechi, was were reported to have lost their lives, and crossfire of a rivaling cult war. In August, a suspended by the Rivers State House of property and crops were destroyed in the militia attack in four LGAs, including Etche, Assembly for the mismanagement of public flood. According to media reports, incidents reportedly killed several, including a solider funds. In response to ensuing violence from of water-borne diseases and food scarcity and Air Force officer. In October, a fight protestors demanding his reinstatement, also increased during this time. In July 2014, between two armed youth gangs reportedly police occupied the Obio/Akpor secretariat. it was reported that three people were shot led to the deaths of at least three. dead by a gunmen, although the cause of

www.fundforpeace.org 3 The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Rivers State

Andoni least four people had been killed in a raid from gang and cult violence, often over (Rivers South-East Senatorial District) on a community by an armed gang. disputed territory and reprisal killings. In June, the bombing of a pipeline reportedly

Gokana led to large fires and the loss of up to 6000 Although there were no reported incidents (Rivers South-East Senatorial District) barrels of oil. In April 2014, a violent land of violence in 2012, in June 2013 eight dispute erupted between two communities, people were reportedly killed in a cult causing property damage although no supremacy clash between the Icelanders Two incidents in Gokana that were reported deaths were reported. In September, at and the Greenlanders during a funeral. In during 2012 included a case of suspected least one youth was reported killed after October of that year, it was reported that child abuse by a village chief and the being ambushed in the continuation of an three soldiers involved in a covert JTF shooting death of a former militant by an apparent dispute between two rival youth operation were killed in a battle with sea assassin posing as a member of the JTF. In groups. pirates. In July 2014, it was reported that at 2013, the main reports of insecurity came

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.

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.

www.fundforpeace.org 4 The Fund for Peace