2. Description of security situation per state
2.1 Jigawa state
2.1.1 General description of the state
Jigawa stateshares borders to the west with Kano and Katsina states, to the east with Bauchi and Yobe states and to the north it shares an international border with the Republic of Niger. The capital is Dutse.634
Jigawa state is composed of the following Local Government Areas (LGAs): Auyo, Babura, Biriniwa, Birnin Kudu, Buji, Dutse, Gagarawa, Garki, Gumel, Guri, Gwaram, Gwiwa, Hadejia, Jahun, Kafin Hausa, Kaugama, Kazaure, Kiri Kasama, Kiyawa, Maigatari, Malam Madori, Miga, Ringim, Roni, Sule Tankarkar, Taura and Yankwashi.635
In the 2006 census, the population of state was 4 361 002. Based on this census, the population was estimated at 5 828 163 in 2016.636
The ethnic groups living in Jigawa state include: Hausa, which appears to be the predominant ethnic profile, Fulani, Mangawa, Ngizimawa and Badawa.637
The state’s main economic activity is agriculture. More than 80 % of the state’s population is involved in subsistence farming and animal husbandry.638
2.1.2 Conflict background and armed actors
2.1.2.1 Background of the conflict
Jigawa state experienced several farmer-herder confrontations in 2019 and 2020, according to ACLED and Nigeria Watch data. The number of fatalities resulting from such violence did not exceed three per incident.639 The background to these clashes is related to damage to farming or grazing land, water wells and so more.640 Also, several kidnappings took place in 2019 and 2020.641
In November 2020, hundreds of herders relocated from Zamfara to the forests in Gwaram LGA, to escape violent attacks and kidnappings in the former state. The relocation caused unrest amongst local communities, who fear an increase of criminality. The local police indicated they are monitoring the situation. The area of Gwaram LGA had been secured from kidnappings for three years.642
2.1.2.2 Actors
Actors in Jigawa state’s conflicts include local communal militias, unidentified gunmen, kidnappers and robbers, and herders and farmers clashing over access to land, water and other resources.643
634 Nigeria, Jigawa State, n.d., url
635 Nigeria, Jigawa state, n.d., url
636 Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics, National Population Estimates, n.d., url, p.2
637 Nigeria, Jigawa state, n.d., url
638 Nigeria, Jigawa state, n.d., url
639 ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url; Nigeria Watch, The database, 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2020, url
640 International Crisis Group: Violence in Nigeria’s North West: Rolling Back the Mayhem, 18 May 2020, url, pp. 5-7
641 CFR, Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), 1 January 2019-31 December 2020, url; ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url; Nigeria Watch, The database, 1 January 2020 – 31 December 2020, url
642 Premium Times, UPDATED: Fear in Jigawa community as herders relocate to nearby forests, 19 November 2020, url
643 Premium Times, Controversy over farmers, herders clash in Jigawa community, 18 January 2020, url; ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
2.1.3 Recent security trends and impact on the population
According to Nigeria Watch, Jigawa state had one of the lowest numbers of fatalities from crime in 2020.644 In 2019 it reported that grazing space was a major cause of clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farming communities.645
2.1.3.1 Number of security incidents and fatalities
In 2020, ACLED reported a total of 15 security incidents (7 battles, 2 cases of violence against civilians, 6 incidents of riots) in Jigawa state, resulting in 15 deaths. The highest number of security incidents took place in Garki and Guri LGAs. The 2 incidents of violence against civilians were attacks. 646 The evolution of the types of security events through the reference period, as well as the highest number of incidents by LGA is shown in the graph below. Other than the above-mentioned types of security incidents, 1 protest was reported in Jigawa state during the reference period. 647
Figure 10 Evolution of security events coded battles, explosions/remote violence, riots, and violence against civilians in Jigawa state in 2020, with breakdown by LGA. Based on ACLED data648
No source was found reporting on civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries of civilians. The identified sources report solely on the number of fatalities and do not distinguish between civilians and combatants in their reporting. The table below shows the number of violent incidents and fatalities, according to type of incident for Jigawa state in 2020, as recorded by ACLED.
644 Nigeria Watch, Tenth report on Violence (2020), n.d. url, p. 6
645 Nigeria Watch, Ninth Report on Violence in Nigeria (2019), n.d., url
646 EASO analysis PowerBI based on ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
647 EASO analysis PowerBI based on ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
648 EASO analysis PowerBI based on ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
Jigawa state Nr of incidents Nr of fatalities
Battles 7 10
Explosions/remote violence 0 0
Violence against civilians 2 0
Riots 6 5
Total 15 15
Table 3 Number of violent incidents and fatalities by type of incident in 2020649
From 1 January to 30 April 2021, ACLED reported a total of 3 security incidents (2 cases of violence against civilians, 1 incident of riots) in Jigawa state, resulting in 2 deaths.650
2.1.3.2 Illustrative security incidents
The most significant incidents referred to clashes between herders and farmers in several localities.651 On 17 January 2020, in Fulata (Taura LGA), reprisal attacks took place between local herders and farmers over land use, resulting in 10 injuries.652
On 21 June 2020, a ‘violent clash’ between farmers and Fulani herdsmen took place in Adiyani (Guri LGA), killing three people.653
On 19 September 2020, a clash over land ownership between herdsmen and farmers in Madamuwa (Guri LGA), left about 20 persons injured and one person die from his injuries. Two people were arrested.654
On 26 October 2020, unknown gunmen kidnapped the wife of a vigilante deputy commander in Galamawa (Dutse LGA). The police rescued her son; the woman was later freed after payment of a ransom.655
2.1.3.3 State’s ability to secure law and order
Jigawa state police were called upon to intervene in the violence incidents and in one instance were able to arrest suspects656 or rescued a kidnapped person.657 When in January 2020 Fulani herders clashed with farmers in Taura LGA, the police was criticised for not preventing the incident. The police maintained that ‘normalcy had been restored in the community.’658
649 ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
650 EASO analysis PowerBI based on ACLED Dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2021 to 30-04-2021, url
651 ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
652 Premium Times, Controversy over farmers, herders clash in Jigawa community, 18 January 2020, url
653 Channels TV, Three Confirmed Dead As Farmers And Herders Clash In Jigawa, 21 June 2020, url
654 Premium Times, One dead, 20 injured in fresh herders, farmers clash in Jigawa – Police, 21 September 2020, url; Daily Trust, Farmer/herder clash: One person dies, others injured in Jigawa, 23 September 2020, url
655 Premium Times, Vigilante commander’s wife, son abducted in Jigawa, 26 October 2020, url; ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
656 Premium Times, One dead, 20 injured in fresh herders, farmers clash in Jigawa – Police, 21 September 2020, url; Daily Trust, Farmer/herder clash: One person dies, others injured in Jigawa, 23 September 2020, url
657 Premium Times, Vigilante commander’s wife, son abducted in Jigawa, 26 October 2020, url; ACLED dataset, filtered on Nigeria, 1-1-2020 to 31-12-2020, url
658 Premium Times, Controversy over farmers, herders clash in Jigawa community, 18 January 2020, url
2.1.3.4 Road security
Roads in the north-west are often subject to kidnapping and robbery. In a 2019 article, citing 2017 data, Jigawa was ranked fourth of Nigerian states with highest rates of kidnapping (after Zamfara, Rivers, and Lagos).659
Further information on road security specifically for Jigawa state was not found.
2.1.3.5 Infrastructure damage and explosive remnants of war
No information was found on major damage in infrastructure or explosives of war in Jigawa state.
2.1.3.6 Displacement and return
For a general overview of the displacement trends in the North-West and North-Central Regions, see Section 2.2.3.6 in Kaduna state.
IDPs
As of December 2020, IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) Round 5 assessments identified 728 688 internally displaced persons in North-West and North-Central regions.660
No information was found on the number of conflict-related IDPs specifically in Jigawa state.
On 2 October 2020, the overflowing river Hadeji caused a flooding that killed about 50 persons and displaced more than 10 000 families, in particular in the eight LGAs of Hadejia emirate.661
Returnees
No information was found on the number of returnees to Jigawa state. IOM does not collect any return data in the North-West and North-Central Regions.662