Abstract

Conflict is as old as human activities, and to a large extent, is a socio-political phenomenon associated with disagreement of interest. The understanding of the concept of conflict is important as it helps in understanding its causes, consequences and eventual means to resolve, manage, and prevent it. This article therefore examined the causes of violent conflicts and its effects on Ikwerre people and communities’ development in Rivers State within the period of 1998-2018. Data from primary and secondary sources were used. Primary data was generated by means of personal observation, interview and questionnaire instruments; while secondary data was obtained from documentary facts on the various violent conflicts in Ikwerre communities. Primary data was analysed in tabular and percentage frequency, with content analysis applied for the secondary data. Social barriers theory was used as the framework of analysis. The study noted violent conflict prone communities in Ikwerre nation, and identified poverty, tussle over community leadership, clashes between rival cult groups, disagreement over boundary adjustment and ownership of farmlands, traditional right of inheritance, among others, as some of the causes of violent conflicts in Ikwerre communities; and noted increase in hunger and poverty, loss of properties and increase in death rate, loss of traditional culture of Ikwerre people, Ikwerre people becoming refugees in neighbouring communities, loss of government development programme, waste of economic resources, etc, as some of the effects of the violent conflicts on Ikwerre people and its communities development in the state. The study recommended measures to curb violent conflict activities in Ikwerre communities with a view to advancing development of Ikwerre people and communities.