Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria

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October 2007 Volume 19, No. 16(A) Criminal Politics Violence, “Godfathers” and Corruption in Nigeria Summary ................................................................................................................. 1 Recommendations ...................................................................................................6 To the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria: ........................................ 6 To the Nigerian Police Force: .............................................................................. 8 To the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission:........................................... 8 To Nigeria’s foreign partners: ............................................................................. 8 Historical Background and Context ........................................................................ 10 Historical Overview: Dictatorship and Rigged Elections ..................................... 11 A Flawed Transition........................................................................................... 14 Political Violence ................................................................................................... 17 The Scale of Nigeria’s Violence Epidemic .......................................................... 17 The Human Rights Impact of Political Violence .................................................. 19 Politicians, Cults and Gangs..............................................................................23 Justifying and Taking Violence for Granted.........................................................28 Corruption, Godfatherism and the Funding of Political Violence ............................. 31 Corruption and Poverty in Nigeria ...................................................................... 31 Nigeria’s Political Godfathers ............................................................................33 Corruption and the Funding of Political Violence ...............................................35 Entrenching Impunity: Federal Government Complicity, Human Rights Abuse and Corruption ....................................................................................................... 41 Impunity and Governance in Nigeria.................................................................. 41 Rewarding Abuse and Corruption ......................................................................43 Impunity and the 2007 Elections .......................................................................44
The Nigerian Police and Impunity for Political Violence......................................45 Selective Use of Anti-Corruption Institutions .....................................................48 Case Study A: Oyo State.........................................................................................52 The Godfather of Ibadan....................................................................................52 Adedibu’s War Against Ladoja...........................................................................54 Oyo’s 2007 Elections: A Victory for Corruption and Impunity..............................59 Federal Government Complicity.........................................................................62 Aftermath..........................................................................................................65 Case Study B: Anambra State.................................................................................67 Godfatherism in Anambra State ........................................................................67 Impeachment through Corruption and Intimidation ........................................... 71 Mobilizing Cult Groups for the 2007 Elections ...................................................74 The 2007 Elections and their Aftermath............................................................. 77 Case Study C: Rivers State .....................................................................................80 Sowing the seeds of Violence: The 2003 Elections in Rivers.............................. 80 The Legacy of the 2003 Polls in Rivers ............................................................... 81 Impunity for Violence ........................................................................................87 Case Study D: Gombe State.................................................................................... 91 Gombe’s “Kalare” Gangs................................................................................... 91 Kalare Violence and the 2007 Elections in Gombe .............................................94 Police Inaction and Abuse................................................................................ 99 Role of Nigeria’s Federal Government................................................................... 103 Signs of Reform............................................................................................... 105 Role of Nigeria’s International Partners................................................................ 107 The International Response to Nigeria’s 2007 Elections...................................108 International Engagement with the Yar’Adua Government ............................... 110 Annex....................................................................................................................113 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................121
Page 1: Nigeria Criminal Politics Violence,
Page 5 and 6: In 1999, Nigeria’s military relin
Page 7 and 8: to account for their open mobilizat
Page 9 and 10: Recommendations To the government o
Page 11 and 12: To the Nigerian Police Force • Pr
Page 13 and 14: Historical Background and Context N
Page 15 and 16: Many Nigerians initially welcomed t
Page 17 and 18: elections should it choose to do so
Page 19 and 20: Foreign observers and Nigerian civi
Page 21 and 22: undertaken by Human Rights Watch an
Page 23 and 24: killed during the weeks surrounding
Page 25 and 26: and I fell down. After I fell down
Page 27 and 28: dating back to their days at univer
Page 29 and 30: Nnamdi Azikwe campus in Awka had be
Page 31 and 32: Human Rights Watch days later, his
Page 33 and 34: There is no question we can’t rel
Page 35 and 36: over the eight years of the Obasanj
Page 37 and 38: Money flows up and down…these hon
Page 39 and 40: along with at least two to three bu
Page 41 and 42: The best thing you can get is a mul
Page 43 and 44: During the 2007 elections, oppositi
Page 45 and 46: followed up by any meaningful actio
Page 47 and 48: police force and address serious po
Page 49 and 50: police’s shortcomings as an insti
Page 51 and 52: One should expect by now that issue
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2007 elections but then taken off i
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Case Study A: Oyo State This is whe
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Adedibu’s War Against Ladoja Rash
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The attempt to impeach Ladoja ended
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saw four or five people and they ju
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Ibadan. 197 Especially in Ibadan, A
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Box 4: A Future Governor Discusses
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apparent purpose of creating lists
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servants of attacking the NURTW men
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Among the politicians Chris Uba “
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Ngige—like much of the Nigerian p
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that purported “impeachment” pr
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Peter Obi was reinstated in Februar
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Fighting Over the Spoils According
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in Anambra reached the same conclus
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Case Study C: Rivers State They buy
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There are widespread complaints amo
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esponse to concerns that Igodo was
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In 1999 and 2003, [Governor] Odili
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The night before the April 14 elect
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Tom, or their former political spon
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In parallel with other situations d
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Kalare Violence and the 2007 Electi
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International observers told Human
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eportedly urged his disgruntled opp
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and encourages a greater scale of l
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A few minutes earlier, internationa
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problems that have crippled the cap
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Yar’Adua has also promised to str
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The International Response to Niger
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after the rigged elections made no
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firmly fixed at the opposite extrem
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Criminal Politics 114
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H UMAN R I GHTS WATCH 350 Fifth Ave
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Criminal Politics: Violence, âGodfathersâ and Corruption in Nigeria

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