Criminal Politics: Violence, “Godfathers” and Corruption in Nigeria

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Criminal Politics
Violence, “Godfathers” and Corruption in Nigeria
Nigeria is mired in a crisis of governance. For decades, Nigeria’s governing elite have been widely implicated in
acts of violence, corruption and electoral fraud so pervasive as to resemble criminal activity more than democratic
governance. Not only has Nigeria’s federal government failed to hold these politicians to account, but Nigeria’s
system of politics has actively rewarded corruption and violence with control over governorships, parliamentary
seats and other positions of public trust.
Criminal Politics, based on a two month-long investigation to seven Nigerian states, documents this crisis of
governance and the heavy toll it takes on ordinary citizens. It explores what Human Rights Watch considers to be
the most important human rights dimensions of this crisis – systemic violence openly fomented by politicians and
other political elites that undermines the rights of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders and enjoy basic
security; the corruption that both fuels and rewards Nigeria’s violent brand of politics at the expense of the
general populace; and the impunity enjoyed by those responsible for these abuses that denies justice to its
victims and is a roadblock to reform.
Nigeria’s new president, Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, has shown some willingness to reform the country’s broken
electoral system and has demonstrated greater respect for judicial authority. But such steps need to be
accompanied by a major concerted effort to hold accountable the politicians and other powerful elites responsible
for Nigeria’s worst abuses. Human Rights Watch calls on Nigeria’s federal government to end the patterns of
impunity that have helped sustain the country’s disastrous crisis of governance and to embark on a meaningful
program of reform to make abuses harder to commit by improving transparency and strengthening the
independence of key government institutions.
Members of an armed group led by gang
leader Ateke Tom at their camp along the
waterways of Rivers State, Nigeria. Ateke Tom
openly acknowledges that he has been hired to
commit acts of violence on behalf of ruling
party politicians, but neither he nor his political
sponsors have been held to account.
© 2007 Human Rights Watch