BY PATRICIA TAFT*

Formed in 1991, Adamawa is one of the largest states in Nigeria. Located in the country’s northeast, it borders Cameroon to the east, Borno state to the north, Gombe state to the west, and Taraba state to the south. Its position makes it a key corridor between Borno, a hub of Boko Haram activity, and other states. Its population of about 3.5 million are mainly made up of farmers and cattle herders. The economy is predominately agriculture, although the state also has some mineral wealth. Common crops include maize, millet, sorghum, rice, yams, and cassava. Cotton and groundnuts are also produced as cash crops.

Between January 2012 and June 2013, Yola North/South Local Government Areas (LGA) had the most incidents overall, closely followed by Mubi North/South. Because Yola has a larger population than Mubi, however, the number of incidents per capita was highest in Mubi North/South. At the state level, according to Nigeria Watch data, violence increased in Adamawa through 2012 then began to decline in the first half of 2013.

*Katherine Carter contributed to this report.

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