This weekly update spotlights communal conflict in the Niger Delta with a focus on communal tensions over natural resource conflict in Akwa Ibom State. Communal conflict over land and other natural resources is a major cause of lethal violence and instability in Akwa Ibom State. According to data (see map above), land and natural resource related conflicts caused over 140 fatalities in Akwa Ibom between January 2019 and December 2023. Recent data shows the escalation of communal tensions over lingering natural resource conflicts in the State. In August 2023, for instance, 22 residents were reportedly abducted by local militias during clashes between some communities in Eket, Esit Eket and Ibeno LGAs over the ownership of an oil-rich creek. Recently, on February 27, 2024, two residents were reportedly killed, several others injured and over 20 houses including a church destroyed in Iwuochang community in Ibeno LGA, during renewed clashes over the disputed oil-rich Stubbs Creek. The recent incidents have reportedly increased tensions in communities affected by the conflict in Eket, Esit Eket and Ibeno LGA.
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