This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

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. 
 
------------------- 
VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA 
------------------- 
 
¶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. 
 
--------------------------------- 
AMERICANS AND VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶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