US embassy cable - 03ABUJA582

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ABUJA 000582 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
CAIRO FOR MAXSTADT 
 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/26/2013 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KDEM, PINR, NI 
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: HEADCOUNT OF POLITICALLY MOTIVATED 
KILLINGS 
 
 
Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter.  Reasons: 1.5 (B & 
D). 
 
 
1.  (SBU)  Violence is an integral part of the Nigerian 
electoral scene.  In recent weeks, 
the pace has picked up, with confirmed incidents of violence 
occurring in at least 24 of 
Nigeria's 36 states.  The incidents range from rock-throwing 
at the motorcades of elected 
officials to midnight assassinations of key political 
figures.  The political scene was 
rocked by the March 5 killing of the opposition ANPP 
supporter Marshall Harry in Abuja 
three days before he was to have launched the campaign for 
presidential candidate retired 
General Muhammadu Buhari in Rivers State. 
 
 
2.  (U)  The following is a partial list of politically 
motivated murders and near misses 
over the last two years in Nigeria. 
 
 
- Governor James Ibori escaped from a gun battle between two 
factions of the People's 
Democratic Party (PDP) on February 4, 2001. 
- Momoh Lawal, a relative of Umar Akaaba, former Chairman, 
Okene LGA in Kogi 
State, killed on March 5, 2001. 
- Four killed in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, when supporters of 
National Senate President 
Anyim Pius Anyim's clashed with those of Governor Sam Egwu's 
on August 24, 2001. 
- Victor Nwankwo, younger brother of Arthur Nwankwo, founder, 
Eastern Mandate 
Union (EMU), murdered on August 29, 2001. 
- Monday Ndor, Rivers State legislator, killed in Port 
Harcourt in August 2001. 
- Odunayo Olagbaju, Osun State legislator, killed in Ile-Ife 
on December 21, 2001. 
- Chief Bola Ige, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, 
murdered on December 23, 
2001. 
- Janet Oladape, a PDP leader in Ondo State, clubbed to death 
on August 13, 2002. 
- Alhaji Ahmed Pategi, Kwara State Chairman, PDP, murdered in 
Kogi State, on August 
15, 2002.  Kola Kasum, his predecessor, was killed earlier in 
the year. 
- Barnabas Igwe, Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, and 
his wife, Abigail Igwe, 
murdered on September 1, 2002. 
- Chimere Ikoku, former Vice Chancellor, University of 
Nigeria-Nsukka, killed in his 
residence in Enugu on October 20, 2002. 
- Dele Arojo, PDP gubernatorial aspirant, killed by unknown 
assailants in Lagos on 
November 25, 2002. 
- In December 2002, Alhaji Isyaku Muhammad, United Nigeria 
Peoples Party (UNPP) 
North-West vice chairman, was assassinated. 
- One ANPP Chief killed in Ibadan, Oyo State capital in an 
intra-party clash, January 13, 
2003. 
- On February 8, 2003 Chief Ogbonnaya Uche, All Nigeria 
People's Party (ANPP) 
senatorial candidate in Imo State, was assassinated. 
- Mr. Theodore A. Agwatu, Principal Secretary to the Governor 
of Imo State, killed in 
February 2003. 
- On February 18, 2003, a security man in the residence of 
Paul Unongo, ANPP 
gubernatorial candidate in Benue State, was murdered by 
unknown gunmen while 
Unongo escaped. 
- On February 20, 2003, PDP gubernatorial candidate in Kwara 
State, Bukola Saraki, 
escaped an assassination attempt. 
- On February 23, 2003, the Speaker of the Borno State House 
of Assembly, Inuwa 
Kubo, escaped an assassination attempt. 
- March 5, 2003, Dr. Marshal Harry, South-South ANPP 
vice-chairman, was murdered. 
- Mrs. Emily Omope, an Alliance for Democracy (AD) member, 
died on March 3, 2003 
from wounds incurred in an acid attack in December 2002 by 
unknown persons. 
 
 
3.  (SBU)  Unsurprisingly, most of these attacks have 
occurred in the southern part of the 
country.  However, the few incidents in the North show that 
the potential for violence is 
not limited to a particular region of the country.  The most 
recent trend is attacks on 
ANPP supporters who abandoned the ruling PDP to improve their 
electoral chances. 
Still, no party is immune to these attacks. 
 
 
4.  (C)  Violence in Nigerian elections has been present 
since the country gained 
independence and will continue to make up a part of the 
political landscape for some time 
to come.  However, violence in the past has usually involved 
confrontations between 
groups of thugs hired by contending politicians or their 
financial backers.  The thugs and 
innocent bystanders have been the major victims.  The 
difference this time is that a 
significant number of real political players have been 
attacked, engendering an acute and 
growing sense of insecurity among the political elites -- 
something that has not been 
observed in previous electoral cycles.  We expect the pattern 
of attacks to continue 
through and after the elections as various politicians 
attempt to secure position and settle 
scores in a political process short on democratic input among 
the masses and long on 
potential financial gains for the victors. 
JETER