THE FUND FOR PEACE PARTNERSHIPS INITATIVE IN THE NIGER DELTA NIGER DELTA PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE Rise in Cult Violence and Insecurity in

Briefing: November 2015

Reports of cult violence have increased report by the Fund for Peace in December Rivers State, sharply in the Niger Delta since the 2012 titled, ‘Nigeria: Beyond Terror and beginning of 2014. This has been Militants,’ confraternities were initially particularly salient in Rivers State, where the formed in the 1950’s at universities for the violence has been spread over a wide purposes of promoting relationships and geographic region. In Rivers, as in other bonds between and among various Niger Delta states, cult violence has taken students for social and economic advocacy on various criminal, militant, communal, and activism. Many of these groups focused and/or political undertones, depending on on the promotion of social and political the situation. In 2015 for instance, incidents principles, including resistance to included a major clash between rival cult colonialism and discriminatory, sexist, or groups Deywell and Deebam in the unfair university policies. northern Local Government Area (LGA) of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni that killed as many as From the late 1980’s to the mid-1990’s, a 16 people in July. There was also a reported wave of militarization occurred among clash between rival cult groups confraternities against the backdrop of a Greenlanders and Icelanders in the broader militarization of society, particularly southern LGA of Degema; and political in Rivers and other key Niger Delta states. intimidation by cult groups such as the Contributing to this trend of militarization Icelanders and Greenlanders between was a growing perception that peaceful This briefing outlines the background and January and April in the central LGA of Port methods of advocacy and mobilization historical significance of confraternities in Harcourt, the south eastern LGA of , around issues of economic justice and the Niger Delta, and the emergence of cult and elsewhere. Given how pervasive the representative governance were yielding groups as a result in Rivers State. It summa- issue has become, for any program that limited results. Thus, the use of violence and rizes the recent trends in violence and seeks to mitigate conflict in the state, intimidation as political tools were cultism will have to be a key consideration increasingly embraced and many insecurity linked to the many active cult in the coming year as Rivers goes through confraternities began to evolve into what groups in the State, and provides recommen- significant socio-political changes has become the cult group phenomenon of dations for promoting greater peace and presenting both opportunities and risks to today. security within the region. sustainable peace and development. As noted in the April 2015 book, ‘Violence in Scope and Limitations: We recognize that the Background Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,’ by Patricia data collected in this project is not an Taft and Nate Haken, militants saw exhaustive tally of all incidents of violence. confraternities as a useful means to Cult violence has been a regular feature in However, to the extent that data are repre- confront and threaten opposing groups, the Rivers State socio-political setting for sentative of the patterns and trends, findings and began funnelling money and weapons more than two decades. According to a are indicated in the report. into their ranks, leading them to become NOVERMBER 2015: RIVERS CULT VIOLENCE BRIEFING

increasingly predatory and violent. Cult- Reported Fatalities in Rivers State related violence peaked in the mid-1990s, spreading rapidly to the streets as well as the creeks through militarized wings of the 250 confraternities and breakaway factions. Reported Fatalities due to In the 2007 elections, according to a report 200 Cult Violence in Rivers State by Human Rights Watch from October of Reported Fatalities due to that year, wealthy patrons emerged as “Cult 150 Poltical Tensions Godfathers,” who provided money and

Fatalities Reported Fatalities Due to weapons to groups during election seasons 100 for intimidation and thuggery. Cult groups Communal/Ethnic Tensions began being hired by crime syndicates to Reported Fatalities Due to 50 provide onsite security and administer Overall Insecurity criminal routes, leading them to become deeply enmeshed in the illegal oil bunkering 0 market, as well as in the drugs and weapons 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 trade. Cult gangs became highly active Trend shows a significant rise in reported cult-related fatalities between 2012 and 2015 in Rivers State. This is consistent with an within neighbourhoods and communities, overall rise in insecurity in Rivers, which has seen a steady increase in fatalities since 2013. By comparison, reported political and often recruiting youths to their ranks to help communal/ethnic related fatalities have both been notably lower than cult related fatalities. defend and expand their territory. Data source: Nigeria Watch www.nigeriawatch.org

In Rivers State in particular, cults have Nexus Between Rivers Politics and Cultism may have direct or indirect affiliations with served as a gateway to all kinds of the more prominent groups in the state. criminality and violence, including militancy. Political tensions in 2015 were sharply These groups and networks of groups have Furthermore, many of the hotbeds of cult elevated in Rivers State in the run-up to the wide geographical penetration in the state violence are located in centres of political March federal election, the April and are heavily armed. In Rivers, as well as activities such as the state capital of Port gubernatorial elections, and the May local other states, cult groups overlap with street Harcourt and other local government elections. Based on Peace Map analysis of gangs, criminal syndicates, youth headquarters, as indicated in the heat map Nigeria Watch data, political tensions far associations, and other militias. From the on page 3 of this briefing. The emergence exceeded ethnic/communal tensions during more notorious Deebam, Deywell, of known ex-agitators and cult leaders in the period. Greenlanders and Icelanders, to the lesser the current Rivers State House of Assembly known Doctor’s Squad, Italians, Blood suggests a further linkage between the As noted in the publications cited above and Hunters, Junior Vikings, Bermudas and struggle for political power and cult violence consistent with recent Peace Map and IPDU others, cult groups have proliferated in in the state. research findings, cult violence tends to Rivers State with reach into the escalate during the election cycle. This is communities of Emohua, Ikwerre, Khana, Gang violence and cult clashes have also typically because many cult groups depend Ogba Egbema Ndoni, and the been observed in connection to oil on the patronage of politicians, who either Kalabari and villages. bunkering and illegal refining activities. employ them as informal security or use There were multiple reported incidents of them to intimidate, attack or kill their clashes between rival cult groups over Patterns of Insecurity opponents. Due to the political issues such as access to illegal bunkering underpinnings of cult violence, many cult camps, royalties from oil businesses, and Since the 2009 Presidential Amnesty groups are either community-based or built job opportunities provided by oil companies program went into effect, 2015 has around certain charismatic individuals who in Ikwerre, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Port represented the most violent year in Rivers serve as rallying points for members. In Harcourt and Okrika LGAs. Communities in State. As outlined in the above right graph, addition to community-based groups and LGAs such as Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni, Akuku- 2015 had the highest number of reported those built around certain individuals or Toru, Asari-Toru, Degema, Eleme and Port fatalities in the past six years. Violence groups of individuals (including ex-militant Harcourt have been witnessing increasing perpetrated by suspected cultists makes up leaders), there are also what is known as cult and gang related violence. a significant proportion of those incidents. ‘feeder groups’. These are associations that

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Cult-Related Incidents by LGA

The following summaries highlight cult- Cult-Related Fatalities by LGA in Rivers State related violence in some of the key LGAs in Rivers State during 2015. The incidents were 70 reported in on the online Peace Map (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) and the IPDU SMS 60 Early Warning Platform. 50 40 Asari Toru 30 Reported cult-related violence in 2015 in- 20 cluded robbery, stockpiling of weapons, and political thuggery during the elections. 10

0 Degema

Reported cult-related violence in 2015 in- cluded a clash between Greenlanders and Icelanders over oil bunkering, which alleged- ly resulted in one fatality. In a separate incident, a cultist was reportedly beaten up in a political dispute. Trend shows that Ogba/Egbama/Ndoni has the highest levels of cult violence reported for 2015, with 68 fatalities reported since Eleme January. Eleme has the second highest tally in cult-related fatalities, driven by the Deebam and Deywell cult group clashes. Data source: Nigeria Watch www.nigeriawatch.org

In April two people were killed in a clash suspected to be between the Deebam and Deywell cult groups. Then in July, as many as fifteen people were reportedly killed when cultists shot indiscriminately into a market place.

Etche

In January, the rivalry between the Deebam and Deywell cult groups had been elevated in the LGA when three cultists were killed in a clash, leading to increased communal tensions in the area.

Ikwerre

In July there was reported to be a clash be- tween the Dewell and Axelander cult groups that killed three.

Obio/Akpor

In January, two cult groups allegedly Heat Map: Hot spots for reported cult-related incidents from 2009 to 2015 in Rivers State. clashed, although there were no fatalities The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of incidents reported using Nigeria Watch Data — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. reported.

Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Okrika

With as many as 68 people killed so far this In February, cultists and armed gangs re- Although it didn’t have the highest number year as a result of cult activities, Ogba/ portedly attacked party supporters during a of fatalities reported in the state, as a result Egbama/Ndoni was the most violent LGA in campaign rally and killed a police officer and of cult violence, Port Harcourt had by far the Rivers state. In May, police reportedly en- stabbed a news media personnel. Then in highest number of incidents in 2015. These gaged cultists in a gun battle, killing over 20 July in attack that was believed to be cult- included robbery, kidnappings, killings (eg. of them. Two months later, in July, there related, a clash between two communities of an ex-militant, four men in a restaurant, was a reported clash between Deywell and reportedly killed five. and several people in a bar), as well as sev- Deebam cult groups that killed 18. In Sep- eral reports of political intimidation in the tember, another clash between cult groups Tai run-up to the elections. There were also reportedly killed another 17. reported conflicts over the control of an oil

bunkering camp and revenue from banana In July it was reported that two people were dealers. killed during a cult clash in a community.

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Key Cult Groups in Rivers State Cult Group Emergence in Rivers The Vikings rigging in exchange for money. Wellington notes that violence involving the Deebam 1980s The Supreme Vikings Confraternity also usually occurs when individuals fail to pay called the Norsemen Klub of Nigeria, was bribes, or when clashes with rival cult  Academic and advocacy groups known as ‘confraternities ‘ form in Nigerian Universi- formed at the University of Port Harcourt in groups, such as the Deewell. ties, including the Vikings Rivers State in 1982 with the mission to 1990s promote unity and brotherhood on campus Deewell and the betterment of society overall. Even  Driven by wave of militarisation, confrater- nities splinter into violent ‘street wings’ , today, the group maintains that its Like Deebam, members of Deewell were not evolving into non-university membership objectives are peaceful. During an interview university-affiliated when they splintered conducted by Roy Chikwem for Nigeriaworld  Deewell, Deebam & Icelanders from as from the Vikings. As Wellington describes, splinter groups from the Vikings in October 2008, a high ranking leader in many of the Deewell members were already 2005 the confraternity said that their mission was involved in petty crime and were known for  Loose alliance between cult groups & other to, their participation in territorial street brawls “fight for and defend the oppressed and the weak. militant organizations forms Movement for using broken bottles, machetes and locally- the Emancipation of the Niger Delta Our organization adopts corrective and protective manufactured guns. According to an 2013 interview conducted by Wellington in April measures for the defense of the masses against social Member of the Icelanders splits from the 2005 with a former cult commander, the  injustice, victimization, and deprivation. The group to form rival group the Greenlanders Deewell lacked the resources of other cult fundamental mission is to assemble men in the course groups, and as a result were ineffective  Armed clashes in December between Icelanders & Greenlanders lead to least 12 of re-enactment of the Vikings, develop leadership, against its their rival the Deebam. Thus, fatalities promote brotherhood, and provide service to another splinter group, the Icelanders was 2015 humanity.” formed, and in the process helped to consolidate the power of the Deebam. This  Cult groups reportedly engage in political However, when a wave of militarization is consistent with other local media thuggery & intimidation during the presi- dential & gubernatorial election campaigns swept through confraternities across accounts such as nairaland.com. Nigeria in the 1990s, three splinter groups  Clashes between Deebam & Deywell re- portedly kill as many as two dozen. emerged from the Vikings. As Bestman The Icelanders Wellington described in his 2007 paper for the Jamestown Foundation Terrorism The Icelanders have represented one of the Greenlanders, due to “irreconcilable Monitor (Vol. 5, No. 8), these splinter groups most violent groups in the Niger Delta differences” as reported in local news were the ‘Junior Vikings’, also known as the region, as described in a 2008 Human Rights sources such as pointblanknews.com on July Deewell, the Deebam, and the Icelanders. Watch report on Rivers State titled ‘Politics 1st, 2013. The Greenlanders have since Unlike the original Vikings, these groups as War’. The report suggested in the 2003 expanded their territory into areas in both were not bound by university code or a election won by the PDP, the Icelanders’ Rivers and Bayelsa states. The group’s formal power structure. Thus, they were leader Akele Tom exerted political influence. political influence in Bayelsa is also strong able to expand their influence outside of The report also suggested political as Mr. Ikiba ran for the Bayelsa House of campus and into surrounding communities. racketeering was one of the ways for the Assembly in 2011 and for the Ijaw Youth Icelanders to generate revenue. The Council in 2013. However, in 2013, he was Deebam Icelanders are also known for attacks on arrested and subsequently confessed to energy infrastructure which have occurred charges of cultism according to news source Organized crime and racketeering have regularly since the early 2000s. In 2014 saharareporters.com on July 4th, 2013. become typical activities for Deebam to clashes with the Greenlanders, a number of offset expensive membership dues, fatalities were reported in local media such Clashes over disputed territory in Rivers according Bestman Wellington in his 2007 as the Naijagists.com blog on September 17, State with the Icelanders have been paper. Wellington also asserts that the 2014. numerous and violent. In September 2014, group’s influence in Emuoha LGA of Rivers is so profound that it has extended into the clashes between the two groups killed ten political sphere. Before his death in 2007, a The Greenlanders people according to news source prominent Deebam member was known to Naijagists.com, and consistent with incident work for the People's Democratic Party In 2013, a member of the Icelanders Mr. reports on the P4P Peacemap. (PDP), with the group also tied to election Nengi Ikiba split from the group to form the

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Conclusion and Recommendations

Conclusion ties than syndicates. And it is a good thing To the Political Parties: when those who were criminals put aside Political tension in Rivers State is not the their criminality and engage constructively  Do not use cultists or other at-risk only contributing factor exacerbating cult in the political system to achieve change for youths as "informal security" or political violence. As described in this brief, other the public good. However, if in the process, thugs. factors include protection rackets, competi- the political system itself becomes criminal-  Encourage members to engage in con- tion over contracts, and control of illicit ized, then violence increasingly becomes the structive criticism of government poli- criminal enterprises such as oil bunkering norm in the political sphere. cies; publicly and repeatedly repudiate operations. However, in early 2014, the the use of all forms hate speech political environment became sharply polar- and political violence. ised, when then-Governor Chibuike Those in the private and public sectors with Amaechi and a host of his supporters de- a stake in peace must work together to en- sure that Rivers State does not slide back To the Security Agencies: camped to the All Progressives Congress into a climate of worsening insecurity. There (APC). The electoral campaign that preced-  Prioritize the mitigation of cultism as is a window of opportunity for all stakehold- ed the elections was characterized by vio- part of a strategic plan for the state, lence, including political killings, arson, kid- ers to come together and promote econom- given the high level of cult- napping, hate speech, violent confrontation, ic growth and peaceable livelihoods for the related violence in comparison with and destruction of properties. This led to a state as a whole. other types. situation where many cultists began taking  Do not allow politicians to employ mili- sides. tants and cultists for informal security. Recommendations  Let there be zero tolerance for abuses The botched local government elections To the Government: by any security officer. Building public trust in the security apparatus will go a held in May 2015 and the subsequent ap-  Engage at-risk youths in economic pro- long way towards ensuring the neces- pointment of caretaker committees have grams that will give them a source of sary cooperation and information shar- further polarised the state, making it ripe livelihoods and keep them from being ing with the communities you serve. for violent confrontation at the community susceptible to being hired as criminals  For the same reason, avoid any percep- level. The rescheduled elections in the state or thugs. tion of political bias. In a politically following recent decision of the election  Hold accountable those who engage in charged environment, the security agen- tribunal that annulled the election of the hate speech, criminality and political cies need to be relied upon by citizens of incumbent governor, as well as the sacking thuggery. all political persuasions. of the Speaker of the State House of Assem-  Focus security efforts not just on the bly and 20 other members of the House, are protection of state assets and infrastruc- To the Civil Society Organizations: potential conflict triggers in the state. The ture, but also on broad-based human trend and timeline of violence indicates that security, so as to promote an environ-  Get involved in peacebuilding platforms the planned re-run election remains a po- ment of social well-being as a founda- such as the Partners for Peace Network, tential trigger of violence that requires ur- tion for development. so as to build a culture of peace. gent attention from all stakeholders in the state.  Link early warning efforts with conflict To the Media: assessment, advocacy, conflict manage- ment, and peace building. No single Meanwhile, there is the perception that  Cover news events fairly and accurately individual or organization can do this so that the public will be well-informed cultists who sided with those who turned alone. for effective advocacy and civic action. out to be the electoral winners enjoy a de-  Partner with media to promote peace gree of influence and impunity that they  Do not inflame tensions with incom- education and peace messages. may not have had previously. These cultists plete, imbalanced, or sensationalist con- tent.  Report any verified incident of conflict also have a stake in the outcome of current risk to the IPDU SMS early warning sys- and future political disputes.  Celebrate peace builders in the media so tem at 080.9936.2222. Please indicate as to encourage a culture a peace. the state, LGA, and date of incident in your text message as well as a brief de-  Partner with civil society organizations Cultists are not always criminals, or violent. scription. Sometimes they are more like confraterni- to promote peace education and peace messages.

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