Communal and Intertribal Clashes in Nigeria: A Nation Divided, A Region at Peace
By Sobona Wasiu Adekunle
The story of Nigeria’s communal violence is one of recurring tragedy. From the swampy creeks of the South-South to the fertile plains of the Middle Belt, inter-ethnic conflicts continue to claim lives and displace communities. While some regions like the South-West have developed mechanisms for peaceful coexistence, others remain trapped in cycles of violence that defy easy solutions.
In the South-South and South-East, a tinderbox of ethnic tensions continues to ignite. The border regions between these zones have become hotspots for violent clashes, often overlooked in national discourse. In 2023, what began as a minor land dispute between the Ezza-Effium and Effium communities in Ebonyi State escalated into months of violence, leaving over 100 dead and displacing thousands (Vanguard, March 2023). Just months later, in Rivers State, the Okrika and Ogoni peoples clashed over fishing rights in the Andoni River, resulting in the destruction of entire villages (The Punch, July 2023). Further east, the long-standing conflict between Cross River’s Ejagham and Benue’s Ukelle tribes resurfaced in 2022 over a disputed cocoa plantation, with eyewitnesses reporting the use of sophisticated weapons (Premium Times, November 2022). These conflicts follow a familiar pattern: a trigger incident, rapid escalation, and then silence until the next explosion of violence.
Meanwhile, Plateau State stands as Nigeria’s killing fields, where what began as farmer-herder clashes has mutated into complex inter-communal warfare involving multiple ethnic groups. The 2023 Christmas Eve massacre in Bokkos LGA, where over 150 villagers were killed, shocked the nation (BBC, December 2023). But this was merely the latest in a series of atrocities. The Berom and Fulani communities have been locked in a deadly cycle of revenge attacks since the early 2000s, with the 2010 Dogo Nahawa massacre claiming over 500 lives in a single night (Human Rights Watch, 2010). Despite numerous peace accords and military interventions, the violence continues, fueled by competition for land, political manipulation, and the proliferation of arms.
Yet in stark contrast, the Yoruba people of South-West Nigeria have maintained remarkably peaceful relations with neighboring ethnic groups through a combination of economic interdependence, traditional conflict resolution systems, and cultural flexibility. Their approach, exemplified by the peaceful coexistence between Yoruba and Ijaw communities in Ondo State (ThisDay, 2021), demonstrates that Nigeria’s ethnic diversity need not be a death sentence.
The path forward for Nigeria lies in addressing fundamental issues: strengthening traditional institutions, promoting economic integration between groups, and ensuring the government acts as an honest broker rather than taking sides in ethnic disputes. Until these changes occur, Nigeria will continue to mourn its dead while wondering why peace remains so elusive. The solutions exist – what’s missing is the political will to implement them.
