SUMMARY
The southern region of Nigeria, and especially the delta area, is where the crude oil that constitutes a substantial amount of the Nigerian revenues is located. The fact that the oil and the subsequent incomes that can be extracted from it are concentrated in this area has led to several violent episodes between ethnic groups contesting the ownership of land in and around the oil-rich delta area. The issue was further complicated since the inception of the civilian government in 1999. This led to several new actors and possibilities of organizing in order to enhance their political power. The fragile political system with weak institutions and a high level of corruption created a situation where political power became the easiest means of capital accumulation. Given these conditions, several groups mobilized and formed interest groups speaking on behalf of the ethnic group. This polarized the already fragile relations in the southern parts of Nigeria and led to a situation where contested ownership of land, taxation of land, or even number of employees at the oil facilities were all potential conflict issues.
The other dyads that belong to the same Southern land ownership cluster of non-state conflicts are; Adoni – Ogoni, Aguleri – Umuleri, Ijaw – Itsekiri, Ogoni – Ndoki, Okrika – Eleme, Okrika – Ogoni”, Urhobo, Ijaw – Itsekiri and NDPVF – NDV.
The conflict between the Ijaw and Ilaje stems from a land dispute concerning a potential oil-rich piece of land that both groups claimed to be theirs. The conflict was fought in the towns of Oroto and Apaja, close to the American oil company Chevron’s facilities in the Niger Delta. It was when rumors of a potential buyer of the land surfaced that the conflict over ownership of the land was instigated.
During the previous years thousands of Ilaje had been forced to leave their homes after confrontations between the two groups. These exiled Ilajes were, after a meeting between Ijaw and Ilaje leaders, scheduled to return to the settlements Oroto and Apaja. Upon the return of the displaced Ilaje people clashes once again broke out, this time resulting in a higher death toll than previous skirmishes, the previous clashes did not pass the threshold of 25 battle-related deaths and are therefore not included in UCDP data.
The remote areas of southwest Nigeria, some of which could only be reached by boat, where after the violence subject to government intervention to ensure the stability. Due to the ethnic divide no soldiers representing the Ijaw, or the Ilaje ethnicities were allowed to partake in the monitoring mission.
The clashes succumbed after government troops were deployed. The deployment of 1000 troops in the area did in fact halt the immediate violence and it also eased the tension between the two groups. Furthermore the conflict did not resurface.
The Ijaw - Ilaje conflict must also be viewed in the broader spectrum of the ethnic and religious non-state conflicts that have ravaged Nigeria in the past and intensified with the end of military rule, from 1999 and onwards. The conflicts throughout Nigeria have ethnic, political, economic, and religious components, which have become inextricably linked over time, pitting various groups and alliances of groups against each other along different dividing lines.
The violence was confined to Oroto town in Ondo state, located in the southwestern parts of Nigeria.
The non-state conflict between Ijaw and Ilaje is first included in UCDP data in 1999. In late July/early August of that year, clashes between the two groups resulted in more than 25 battle-related deaths.
