VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA -- POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000972

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/24/2014
TAGS: PGOV CASC ASEC KDEM NI
SUBJECT: VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA -- POSSIBLE EFFECTS ON
AMERICANS, AND WHAT THE EMBASSY IS DOING

REF: A. ABUJA 904

B. ABUJA 865

C. ABUJA 828

D. LAGOS 1131

E. LAGOS 902

CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR JOHN CAMPBELL FOR REASONS 1.5 (b)
and (d).


1. (U) Summary: Serious ethnic violence has continued for
some time in various parts of Nigeria, most prominently in
the Delta, Plateau State and Benue State. Various armed
militias competing for resources and manipulated by
politicians continue to fight there and elsewhere, while mobs
have channeled economic anger to attack their neighbors from
other ethnic groups/religions in Kano and now Kebbi.
Americans in northern Nigeria have not been caught up in
these ethnic/economic conflicts, although two Americans were
killed in unrelated Delta violence in April. As the
weekend's events in Saudi Arabia remind, there is also the
ever-present possibility of terrorism aimed at Americans.


2. (C) The Embassy has undertaken many efforts to warn
Americans, to provide added security to many Americans
resident in Nigeria, and to tighten up our precautions.
Below we update some of the hotspots, their possible effects
on Americans in Nigeria, and what the Embassy is doing about
them. End Summary.

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VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA
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3. (C) PLATEAU STATE: The violence continues, and State of
Emergency Sole Administrator Alli is continuing his visits to
communities and leaders (Ref A). Some Yelwa-Shendam
residents attempted to return to their homes over the
weekend, but Tarok militiamen masquerading as police ambushed
the returnees and killed several. The issue in Plateau is a
fight between cattlemen (mostly Hausa/Fulani Muslims) and
farmers (especially Taroks, most of whom are Christian) over
land. It has been going on for years, but has killed
hundreds since February. Given the particular ethnic groups
involved, the fight has taken on religious overtones that are
used by mobs seeking "revenge" elsewhere, most notably Kano.
The fight in Plateau, however, is economic and is being
stirred by politicians for their own political gains. The
underlying economic issue of land rights cannot be resolved
in Nigeria's legal system (Ref C).


4. (U) JEGA: Another "revenge" mob attack occurred May 28 in
the highway town of Jega, Kebbi State. A Christian Igbo went
to the mosque during Friday prayers to learn if plans to
attack Igbos were being discussed. The worshippers noticed
he was not praying, asked him to pray and thus show he was a
Muslim, and when he could not they attacked him. He was
badly beaten. Another Igbo who went to help him was killed.
The mob attacked the highway town's market dominated by
Igbos, and a Muslim attacker was also killed. Up to eight
churches were burned. 150-200 people were arrested, and the
violence was only contained by personal intervention from
Governor Aliero. Both Christians and Muslims praised Aliero
for his quick action to calm hostilities.


5. (U) BENUE: Fighting continues in the eastern part of
Benue State between Tiv and Jukun militias, similar to the
land-use war of militias in Plateau. The militias in Benue
are not related to those in Plateau, but the political
manipulation is similar to that in Plateau -- a rivalry
between PDP and ANPP local politicians. At least 70 persons
have been killed over the past ten days in the area (Ref B),
which saw similar fighting and a massacre of civilians by the
Nigerian military at Zaki Biam in 2001. The Army has been
staying out of the militias' war so far this time, and most
of the killings this time have been attributed to a militia
called the Tiv Defense Corps. The Benue State assembly is
debating whether to request a State of Emergency from
President Obasanjo similar to the one in Plateau State.


6. (C) DELTA: The oil-rich Niger Delta region has been the
scene of on-going militia fighting for several years. There
was a new flare-up of gang violence near Port Harcourt,
Rivers State, last week (Ref D). Meanwhile, Delta State
Governor Ibori has reportedly announced both a "special
security operation" against the combatants and a truce
between the ethnic militias. Both the well-armed ethnic
militias and the gangs are fighting for "market share" in the
illegal theft of crude oil, a multi-million dollar industry.

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AMERICANS AND VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA
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7. (C) Two Americans were among seven killed near Warri,
Delta State, on April 23 by unknown assailants apparently
intent on robbery (Ref E). There are many Americans working
in the Delta, and ChevronTexaco and other American employers
have also received threats to their facilities there for
essentially extortion purposes. Other than that, mercifully,
Americans in Nigeria thus far have neither been targeted nor
injured in the many ongoing wars in various parts of the
country between militias. Outside the Delta, there are few
if any resident Americans in the areas where militias are
fighting each other for land rights, and the Americans living
in cities like Kano have stayed out of the "revenge" mob
violence there.


8. (C) The Embassy issued Warden Messages on May 25, May 18,
May 12, April 24 and February 25 to keep the community
informed, and would have sent another on May 28 to update
some of the various hotspots listed above. In addition, we
have kept an ever-watchful eye on the potential for terrorism
in Nigeria, including informing the community of the March 24
world-wide caution. We have been especially concerned about
soft targets, such as the American missionaries scattered
across Nigeria and groups of them in a few cities such as
Jos. The recent attack in Saudi Arabia was a further impetus
to vigilance.


9. (C) The Embassy has taken steps to protect the community
as well as keep it alert. These steps include upgrading
surveillance detection at official USG buildings and the
American International School, providing a "React" vehicle
escort for the Embassy employee association-operated school
bus, and gaining police protection for the missionary
compound in Jos. These measures and the heightened awareness
have kept the American community relatively calm, given the
ongoing militia violence in many areas of Nigeria and the
ever-present possibility of terrorism here as elsewhere.
CAMPBELL