Three hundred and forty conflict-related deaths were recorded in nine Niger Delta states in June and July, Niger Delta Conflict Tracker report, released by PIND Foundation’s Niger Delta Link, has said.
The report showed that criminality (128) and gang/cult related (109) killings accounted for 237 deaths (or 68.2 per cent) during the period.
Confirming the report, PIND Foundation’s Afeno Super Odomovo said the document was part of the monthly release by NDLink. It covers June and July.
The report showed that Rivers State recorded the highest number of conflict fatalities (120), accounting for more than a third of conflict-related deaths in the nine states of Niger Delta, including Abia, Imo and Ondo.
The state topped the criminality-and gang/cult violence killings chart with 61 persons dying in cult/gang violence, and 53 crime-related deaths in June and July.
Flashpoint areas include Obio/Akpor council, with 37 killed; cult violence (23); as well as robbery, kidnap and other crimes (14).
The report noted that “conflict risk and lethal violence in Rivers State during this period were driven mainly by cult violence, kidnapping for ransom, violent protests, and Violence Affecting Women and Girls (VAWG).”
Khana and Emuoha councils also stood out as hotbed for violence in Rivers by recording 34 and 17 deaths for June and July.
Akwa Ibom is a distant second to Rivers, with 60 deaths. Cross border conflict resulted in 40 deaths, all in Mbo council, with communal conflicts in Itu council.
Delta State, with 50 deaths, is third on the list. Fatalities resulted mainly from criminality (25), while communal clashes, including herdsmen versus farmers, and cult violence accounted for 11 deaths apiece.
“Reported incidents during the month (in Delta) related mainly to communal conflict, and criminality, including kidnapping for ransom,” the report said.
The lowest conflict-related deaths occurred in Abia State, where criminality and gang/cult violence claimed seven and two lives, of the nine deaths recorded.
Other states where people died from conflicts are Ondo (31), Cross River (27), Edo (21), Bayelsa (20) and Imo (11).
NDLink said on the report: “This monthly tracker is designed to update peace agents on patterns and trends in conflict, risk and violence in Niger Delta, as identified by PIND Foundation’s Integrated Peace and Development Unit’s (IPDU) early warning system, and to seek feedback and input for the response to mitigate areas of conflict.”
It urged members to ensure trackers were comprehensive by contributing their knowledge and reporting any verified incident of conflict to the IPDU Early Warning System.
