The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State Patterns and Trends, 2012-2014 Over the last four years, incidents of insecurity in Bayelsa have included cult LGA Level Summary violence, piracy, abductions, and attacks on energy infrastructure. Conflict factors were Yenagoa mainly reported around the capital of (Bayelsa Central Senatorial District) Yenagoa. In 2012, there were two bombings This Conflict Bulletin provides a brief suspected to be linked to political tensions snapshot of the trends and patterns of around the gubernatorial elections. conflict risk factors at the State and Local Multiple incidents of cultist violence were Government Area (LGA) levels, drawing on reported, some targeting politicians or the data available on the P4P Digital candidates. Ex-militants reportedly attacked Platform for Multi-Stakeholder Engagement cluster oil wells several times throughout (www.p4p-nigerdelta.org). It represents a the year, claiming that their actions were in compilation of the data from sources listed protest against their exclusion from the ith 2 million people, Bayelsa is one below, not necessarily opinions of FFP or federal amnesty program. In June, women of the smallest states in the any other organization that collaborated on reportedly barricaded an oil facility, country, by population. Most are of the production of this bulletin. protesting that the company had failed to Ijaw descent. Bayelsa produces meet community obligations while causing between 30-40% of Nigeria’s oil and gas. In The screenshot of the heat map on this environmental and social degradation. addition to the petroleum sector, the state page shows the geographic distribution of has an extensive commercial fishing incidents from 2012-2014. The trend-line on In November 2012, hundreds reportedly industry and produces oil palm, raffia palm, the next page shows the number of protested over the non-payment of rubber, and coconut. incidents and fatalities over time. The bar expected allowances from the amnesty chart shows the trend of incidents of program over a six-month time period. Also In February 2012, Henry Dickson (PDP) was insecurity by LGA per capita. The summaries in November, hundreds of flood victims elected as governor after a period of draw on data collected by FFP’s UNLocK, the reportedly protested against government uncertainty in the wake of Governor Timipre Council on Foreign Relations’ NST, WANEP action to remove them from relief camps. Sylva’s termination in January 2012. Nigeria, CSS/ETH Zurich, Nigeria Watch, There were multiple reports of police NEEWS/TMG, and ACLED integrated on the clashes with suspected armed robbers and In the first half of 2013, Bayelsa fell below P4P platform. They also draw on data and kidnappers. the Niger Delta regional average in reported information from “Violence in Nigeria: incidents of insecurity per capita for the first Patterns and Trends,” by Patricia Taft and In February, 2013 it was reported that up to time since 2010. On June 15, 2013, Nate Haken (Springer Press, April 2015). 200 former militants rioted and destroyed thousands of cult group members met with property when they learned that they would political leaders as part of Gov. Dickson’s not be included in the third phase of the Restoration Agenda, to renounce criminality amnesty program. In August, Vanguard and work towards peace. news reported that 12 suspected pirates The graphic above is a Heat Map (screenshot) of Conflict Risk in Bayelsa State 2012-2014 — www.p4p-nigerdelta.org. Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State Conflict Risk Factors in Bayelsa* Reported Insecurity Per Capita in Bayelsa (by LGA)* 60 Incidents 50 2012 H1 2012 H2 2013 H1 Fatalities Worse 2013 H2 2014 H1 2014 H2 40 30 20 10 0 Venagoa Southern Nembe Kolokuma Ogbia Brass Sagbama Ekremor 2010 JanJan--Jun2010 Jul Jul--Dec2011 Jan Jan--Jun 2011Jul- Jul-Dec 2012Jan -Jan-Jun 2012Jul-Dec Jul- Jan2013-Jun Jan- Jul2013-Dec Jul- Jan2014-Jun Jan- Jul2014-Dec Jul- Jun Dec Jun Dec Jun Dec Jun Dec Jun Dec Better Ijaw Opokuma 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) killed by the Nigerian Navy were actually Representatives primaries in the state. took place. In September, an explosive went members of a defunct militant group off in a neighborhood, causing panic among refusing to turn over arms or join the Other major instances of insecurity in residents even though no fatalities were amnesty program. November of 2013 was Yenagoa involved gun violence. In reported. Two incidents of cult violence characterized by violence reportedly September 2014, police opened fire and occurred, leading to the reported deaths of stemming from continued political tensions allegedly killed two vigilantes as they four people, two civilians and two cultists, surrounding the Ijaw National Congress attempted to lynch a group of suspected following a clash between rival gangs. Elections in October. Incidents included the armed robbers. A shooting occurred in reported targeting and kidnapping of youth November at the hands of pirates as they Southern Ijaw group members and political allies carried out several attacks on passenger supportive of each candidate. Later in boats. Later in November, gunmen (Bayelsa Central Senatorial District) November, up to five people were reportedly killed a policeman and fled the reportedly killed in clashes between two scene with his rifle. Gunmen also killed a Reported incidents of insecurity included communities over farmland. riot police corporal and one civilian in attacks on energy infrastructure, politically another incident during that month. In motivated violence, and cult attacks on In early 2014, unidentified gunmen killed December, an armed robber was shot dead university students. In January 2012, the former Chairman of Peremabiri by policemen during a gun duel. unidentified gunmen reportedly attacked Community Development Committee (CDC) the home of an ex-militant leader and killed in his residence in Akenpai. His attackers The number of reported oil-related events a policeman and young ex-militant. A fight reportedly took nothing from the victim’s remained steady in the latter half of 2014. In broke out at a political rally in February home, suggesting motives other than early August, youths shut down five oil wells 2012, resulting in at least one death. In robbery. in Idu Oil Field operated by the Nigerian March and April 2012, there were reported Agip Oil Company. The protesting youths attacks on oil pipelines, the first such There were over two dozen instances of carried out the action following the alleged reports in over a year. In July, gunmen insecurity in the second half of 2014. Of refusal by Agip to provide a generator set reportedly attacked a boat belonging to an those, three incidents were believed to be for them one year after the oil company had oil company, killing at least three and mainly related to the upcoming elections. promised to do so. A second protest of a injuring others. Throughout 2012 cultists One such event occurred in November similar nature took place just days later reportedly killed Niger Delta University when unidentified gunmen shot and killed after promised demands were not met by students in several incidents. Flooding was the Secretary of Bayelsa State Independent the company. Finally, in December, a problem in October 2012. Electoral Commission (BYSIEC). Later in members of an oil union protested in December, suspected political thugs raided several locations, preventing all workers In 2013, there were reported clashes the Bayelsa State Secretariat of the People’s from entering oil installations. between members of the Joint Task Force Democratic Party (PDP) to hijack materials (JTF) and militants in the Azuzuama area, for the conduct of the Federal House of Various other incidents of insecurity also killing several and displacing local residents. The Movement for the Emancipation of the www.fundforpeace.org 2 The Fund for Peace Conflict Bulletin: Bayelsa State Niger Delta (MEND) also claimed to have Nembe Ogbia killed 15 officers in a boat attack. In early (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) (Bayelsa East Senatorial District) May 2013, a shooting by suspected renegade militants left five ex-militants Incidents reported in Nembe included an dead. In the second half of 2013, reports of Reported issues in Ogbia included sexual alleged attack by MEND on marine police action leading to the deaths of violence and child abuse. As in Sagbama, policemen in 2012. Data from CSS/ETH suspected pirates, as well as police deaths, some individuals connected to the former Zurich and the Council on Foreign relations were reported in May, July and October, governor’s administration were aggrieved reported an April 2013 attack by MEND on although the estimated numbers of following the election of Governor Dickson an oil well which was said to have caused a individuals killed varied. Other incidents although these issues largely appeared to spill and created an environmental reported in 2013 included deaths related to have subsided by the end of 2012. Flooding emergency. In the later half of 2013, there oil bunkering as well as a few instances of reportedly submerged communities in was an escalation in reported attacks by kidnapping of local oil dredgers. October 2012 and led to displacement and pirates on passenger boats as well as some food scarcity issues. In January 2013, military police and Navy formations. It was In early 2014, a clash between cult groups at gunmen reportedly invaded the country reported that as of late 2013, up to twenty the Niger Delta University resulted in home of the Local Council Chairman and civilians had been killed by pirate activity or several fatalities. Also, in the first half of the abducted his parents for ransom. It was from being caught in the crossfire between year, unidentified gunmen ambushed a reported that they were released a week police and suspected pirates.