THE FUND FOR PEACE Nigeria Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State Patterns and Trends, January 2012 - J u n e 2 0 1 5 Although on a per capita basis, snapshot of the trends and patterns of shows the number of incidents and fatalities violence is relatively high in Bayelsa, the conflict risk factors at the State and Local over time. The bar chart shows the trend of number of fatalities and incidents have Government Area (LGA) levels, drawing on incidents of insecurity by LGA per capita. dropped since 2010. In February 2012, the data available on the P4P Digital Henry Seriake Dickson (PDP) was elected as Platform for Multi-Stakeholder Engagement The summaries draw on data collected by governor after a period of uncertainty in the (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). It represents a FFP’s UNLocK, the Council on Foreign wake of Governor Timipre Sylva’s compilation of the data from the sources Relations’ NST, WANEP Nigeria, CSS/ETH termination in January 2012. Over the last listed below, not necessarily the opinions of Zurich, Nigeria Watch, NEEWS2015, and four years, incidents of insecurity in Bayelsa FFP or any other organization that ACLED integrated on the P4P platform. They have included cult violence, piracy, collaborated on the production of this also draw on data and information from abductions, and attacks on energy bulletin. “Violence in Nigeria: Patterns and Trends,” infrastructure. Conflict factors were mainly by Patricia Taft and Nate Haken (Springer reported around the capital of Yenagoa, but The screenshot of the heat map on this Press, April 2015). While this bulletin is not also in Nembe and Southern Ijaw. page shows the relative distribution of exhaustive of all violence in Bayelsa, it gives incidents from one LGA to the next from an overview of the types and trajectory of This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief 2012-2014. The trend-line on the next page violence trends in key LGAs. Reported Violence* Overview of Bayelsa State Fatalities per Capita (Jan 2012-June 2015) Worse With 2 million people, Bayelsa is one of the smallest states in the country, by population. Most are of Ijaw descent. Bayelsa produces Better between 30-40% of Nigeria’s oil and gas. In Delta Edo Bayelsa River Cross Rivers Imo Ondo Akwa Ibom Abia addition to the petroleum sector, the state has an extensive commercial fishing industry and produces oil palm, raffia palm, rubber, and coconut. * Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) in Bayelsa State 2012-2015 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: BAYELSA STATE Conflict Risk Factors in Bayelsa State* Brass (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) 60 Incidents 50 Key LGA Risk Factors Fatalities > Attacks on Energy Infrastructure 40 > Kidnapping > Piracy 30 > Political violence 20 > Inter-communal/Land Conflict 10 With its extensive shoreline, Brass is an LGA that sometimes experiences attacks on 0 nearby vessels, many of which are Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun Jul-Dec Jan-Jun associated with the oil industry. Data from 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012 2012 2013 2013 2014 2014 2015 CSS/ETH Zurich points to over a dozen such * Using Nigeria Watch data (www.nigeriawatch.org) formatted to the P4P Web Map platform (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org) incidents occurring during 2012-2013, some of which resulted in kidnappings as well as Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Bayelsa State (by LGA)* the loss of property and lives. In 2014 and early 2015, abductions and killings by pirates continued. In March, Jan-Jun 2015 Jul-Dec 2014 gunmen reportedly abducted a husband Worse Jan-Jun 2014 Jul-Dec 2013 and wife. Later, in August, a passenger boat Jan-Jun 2013 Jul-Dec 2012 driver was shot dead by pirates. In two Jan-Jun 2012 separate incidents in October, sea pirates allegedly killed four policemen and abducted six civilians while gunmen attacked a tugboat and abducted the captain. Between January and June 2015 there were four reports of pirate attacks. Better Yenagoa Southern Ijaw Nembe Brass Kolokuma/ There was a rise in election tensions and Opokuma violence in 2015 as the elections drew nearer, including reports of political thugs destroying campaign materials, youths threatening INEC over the distribution of PVCs, the destruction of campaign materials by youths, inter-party threats, and a woman beaten in a political attack FFP is committed to promoting One of the data sources utilized in The data used in this analysis was over money. sustainable human security around the summary was derived from the pulled from the integrated digital the world, and is the International UNLocK network in Nigeria, a platform for multistakeholder In late January and early February 2015, Coordinating Partner on Partners partnership between The Fund for engagement developed by P4P, an there were also a few incidents of inter- for Peace (P4P), an initiative Peace and the Institute of Human initiative supported by Partnership communal land clashes and cult violence. supported by PIND. FFP has been Rights and Humanitarian Law Initiatives for the Niger Delta working with local civil society in (IHRHL). (PIND). For a deeper understanding In June 2012, a JTF/Navy patrol reportedly Nigeria to develop the UNLocK of the conflict risk factors, visit killed six pirates on a vessel transporting network since 2010. www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. stolen crude. Three naval officers were also killed in the fight which later became a source of tension in the community as the Disclaimer The content of this report represents a summary of the incidents reported in the data, Independent newspaper reported that the not the opinions of the organizations that collaborated on the compilation of this information. suspected pirates were actually indigenes www.f u n d f o r p e a c e . o r g 2 THE FUND FOR PEACE NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: BAYELSA STATE Ekeremor Kolokuma/Opokuma (Bayelsa West Senatorial District) (Bayelsa Central Senatorial District) returning from a funeral. A community Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors petition was then reported to have been > Protests > Attacks on energy infrastructure circulated and sent to the Chief Army Staff > Piracy > Protests protesting the killing and requesting an > Political Violence > Domestic violence inquiry into such violence undertaken by > Intra-Communal Violence > Political Tension patrols. (Youth vs. Elders) > Kidnapping > Inter-communal violence In November of 2013, it was reported that a In early 2015, there were many reports of group of seven gunmen kidnapped the In early 2015, there were multiple cases of violence and protests related to the oil father of Bayelsa State Commissioner for inter and intra-communal tensions. The industry. In January and February, there Tourism. Other reported issues during this intra-communal violence related to youths were protests reported, including one in time period included the October 2012 disagreeing with community elders over January where youths barricaded an oil removal of five LGA chairmen for financial pipeline surveillance jobs. In January, inter- facility construction site. Tension was recklessness shortly after the election of communal tensions rose when a youth was reported regarding the distribution of funds Governor Dickson. They denied the charges killed in a clash with a rival community. Like to the Amnesty program and regarding of impropriety and accused Dickson of other states in early 2015, Ekeremor pipeline surveillance contracts. Tension targeting certain individuals in order to witnessed a rise in political violence. There related to the election was also elevated marginalize them from politics. These were reports of threats against the LG during this period. There were general intra- accusations, and other related claims, Chairman. There were also reports of party tensions regarding the selection of a continued throughout 2012-2013 although clashes between supporters of two party candidate, frustrations over alleged overall, political tensions seemed to candidates as well as grievances with the uneven PVC distribution, destruction of decrease by the end of 2013, before rising PVC distribution process. In February, a local campaign materials, and tension over the again in 2015. monarch led protests against the alleged distribution of compensation for those abandonment of a shore protection project; involved in campaigns. the community is reportedly threatened by sea erosion. In early 2014, boat drivers Incidents reported in Kolokuma/Opokuma under the Maritime Workers Union in 2012 mainly related to the devastation protested against pirate activity in the caused by flooding. In March 2012, it was region. reported that a “general” from a local militia had attacked an oil flow station in protest of the lack of development in the Niger Delta. In mid- to late-2013, violence related to domestic disputes were the main reported incidents of insecurity although early in the year problems associated with the flooding still lingered. In October of 2014, unidentified gunmen kidnapped the brother of the monarch of the of Kolokuma Kingdom. Their demands were not known. www.f u n d f o r p e a c e . o r g 3 THE FUND FOR PEACE NIGERIA CONFLICT BULLETIN: BAYELSA STATE Nembe Ogbia Sagbama (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) (Bayelsa West Senatorial District) Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors Key LGA Risk Factors > Attacks on energy infrastructure > Kidnapping > Intra-Communal Violence > Piracy > Protests (Leadership Tussle) > Political violence > Piracy Unidentified gunmen in April 2015 abducted > Inter-Communal Conflict In the lead-up to the 2015 elections, there the Chairman of Ogbia LGA, and other > Protests was an increase in politically-motivated gunmen in June abducted two Lebanese > Political violence violence reported. In January and February and killed policemen in the process.