Political violence in Nigeria
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In the context of the history of Nigeria, political violence is defined as violence which the state or a non-state actor perpetrates in order to achieve political goals. Political violence has occurred throughout Nigerian history—from the 1960 independence from British rule to terrorist attacks. Contributing factors toward political violence include political party clashes, religious stance, and electoral sector.
Falola defined political violence in Nigeria as the use or threat of force to achieve political objectives.[1]
Chronology
20th century
The colonial rule in Nigeria brought ethnic division through the British indirect rule. Post independence politics employed violence as a tool for governance.[2]
2000s
The 2003 and 2007 Nigerian presidential elections were marked with violence ranging bombings, killings, and armed clashes among rival political sectors.[3] Because of electoral issues, in April and May 2003, about 100 people were killed. The media reported that from November 2006 and mid March 2007 across 20 of the 36 states, over 70 related issues of violence emerged, with a death toll of 70 people. An international organisation recorded 280 reports with over 500 injuries in a period of eight weeks. The Electoral Violence Education and Resolution Project (EVER) and IFES reported 77 incidents in a month, from 13 January to 13 February 2007. The incidents ranged from devastation of campaign materials and apparent assassinations.[4]