ABSTRACT
Once in this study has been able to
trace the origin of ethnic militias, their objectives, the nature and scope of
ethnic militias as well as their impacts on security in the Niger Delta.
Historically, there is no gain
saying in the fact that ethnic militias has taken a dangerous dimension in
recent time in the Niger Delta region. Ethnic militias are only the
manifestation of the restiveness of youth of the ethnic region which have been
marginalized in the sharing of the national cake in Nigeria.
Also, the unequal division of the
country by the Littleton constitution of 1954 which produced the Northern
region as a bigger entity then the east and the west has been a continuous
source of confrontation in Nigeria as states which produce the wealth of the country
are neglected while those that producing nothing enjoy the lion's share of the
national cake. This scenario is true with the people of the Delta region who
have little to show for producing the bulk of the country's wealth.
The need to press for the control
of their mineral and natural resources as should be the case under true
federation has led to an increase in the number of ethnic militias in the Delta
region.
The main ethnic militias groups,
include the Egbesu
Boy of Africa, the movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta
movement for the survival of Odon people,
Ijaw youths council, the Niger
Delta Volunteer Force, Niger Delta United force and the likes.
Nonetheless, the groups believe in
the use of threats, violence, killing, hostage takings and oil pipe line
vandalization are mostly associated with restive youths in the Niger Delta area
or the South -South.
Government reaction to the
activities of the ethnic militias has been through both dialogue and the use of
force. For example, the establishment of agencies like, NDDC, Oil Mineral
Producing Area Development Commission (OMPADEC) and Niger Delta Development
Commission has so far failed to improve the poor standard of living of the
people of Niger Delta region.
The security of the Delta region
has been endangered by proliferations of weapons by the militias.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title
page
Certification
Dedication
Acknowledgement
Table
of Content
Abstract
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.0
Introduction
1.1
Background of the study
1.2
Aims and Objectives of the study
1.3
Statement of Problems
1.4
Significance of the study
1.5
Researches Methodology
1.6
Scope of the Study
1.7
Definitions of Terms
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.0
literature Review
2.1
Insecurity in The Niger Delta
CHAPTER THREE:
EVOLUTION OF ETHNIC MILITIAS
3.0
Introduction
3.1
Evolution of Ethnic Militias
3.2
Nature, Scope and Activities of
Ethnic militias
CHAPTER FOUR:
THE IMPACTS ETHNIC MILITIAS
4.0
Introduction
4.1
The Niger Delta Region
4.2
Insecurity and the Militias
Warfarism in the Niger Delta
4.3
An Appraisal of the Role of Ethnic
Militias in Insecurity in the Niger Delta
CHAPTER FIVE:
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
5.0
Summary
5.1
Conclusions
Bibliography
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The current
conflict in the Niger Delta arose in the early 1990s over tension between the
foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic
groups who felt they were being exploited, especially the Ogoni and the Ijaw.
Ethnic and political unrest has continued throughout the 1990s and persists as
of 2007 despite the conversion to democracy and election of the Obasanjo government
in 1999. Competition for oil wealth has fuelled violence between many ethnic
groups, causing the militarization of nearly the entire region by ethnic militia
groups as well as Nigerian military and police forces (notably the Nigerian
mobile police). Victims of crimes are fearful of seeking justice for crimes
committed against them because of growing “impunity from the prosecution for individuals
responsible for serious human rights abuses, which has created a devastating cycle
of increasing conflict and violence in the regions”.
However, the
uneasy calm that gripped Nigeria especially Niger Delta as a result of the
activities of the ethnic militias underscored
government's neglect of the region in terms of socio-economic development. The
region was noted with the worst indices of economic failure such as poverty,
unemployment and internally and externally induced problems.
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The huge number
of unemployed school le avers, domination of Nigeria's socio-economic,
political scene by one ethnic group, marginalization of some ethnic regions in
the distribution of country's mineral and natural resources among others are
believed to lay the foundation for the wave of ethnic militarism that engulfed
the Nigerian state in the 1990s.
More
significantly, the lackadaisical attitude of the Federal government to
implement religiously the principles of true federalism enabled and even
encouraged the youths of the marginalized regions especially Niger Delta to
take to arms and in their crave to manage their God-given national wealth
Indeed, the emergence of ethnic militias like Oodua Peoples Congress, the
movement for the sovereign state of Biafra, MASSOB, the Egbesu Boys is a
response to the marginalization of
the peoples regions by the Federal government
in the socio-economic and political spheres in Nigeria. Yet among the militias
are groups which were formed solely to defend their people against attacks by
some aggrieved ethnic regions. In this group is the Arewa People’s Congress which
emerged primarily to serve people of Hausa extraction from attacks by other
ethnic groups. The differences in the ideologies of these ethnic groups
heightened further the incidence of insecurity in Niger Delta.
1.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this
work is to examine the impact of the ethnic militias on the security of Niger
Delta in Nigeria. Secondly, this work looks at the reasons behind the emergency
and activities of the militia in the Delta region and the impact of such programmes
on the socio-economic life of the Delta people.
Finally, this
work evaluates the reactions of the Delta region to government's palliative
measures in the region.
The objective
of this study x-rays the venous ways through which militia groups had
contributed to the insecurity in the Delta region.
1.3
STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS
The Delta
region has a steadily grounding population estimated to be over 30 million
people as 2005, accounting for more than 23% of Nigeria population. The region
is perhaps the richest region in Nigeria in terms of mineral and natural
resources. Regrettably too, this region is unarguably the least developed in
terms of socio-economic infrastructure or amenities.
Several years
of oil exploration has led to massive destruction or vandalization of both
agricultural and aquatic life of the people. Government intervention programmes
such as the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Board in 1962, the oil
mineral producing and development Commission, OMPADEC and more recently, the
Niger Delta Commission (NAOC) Development Commission (2000) was established by
President Olusegun Obasanjo with the sole mandate of developing the petroleum
rich Niger Delta of Southern Nigeria. These have failed to address the SOCIO economic
problems of the people of the Delta region.
In all these
cases, the recourse to arms becomes inevitable for the youths of the Delta
region in their bid to control and manage their mineral and natural resources.
1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This
illustrates the various measured that can be taken to bring about the lasting
solution to the problems of ethnic militias and insecurity in the Niger Delta
region. Thus, the work will be of help to the government to reduce or quell the
unrest in the Niger Delta region through the amnesty programme and other
palliative measures.
It will help
the government to implement fully the venous components of the federalism which
emphasizes resources control among others.
It will also help
the ethnic groups that problems can be addressed through pipeline of a
reasonable channel or constructive dialogue instead of indulging in violence.
1.5 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This work
examines the materials obtained mainly from secondary sources of history.
Consequently, the use of textbooks, monographs, journals, newspapers and
magazines will form the bulk of materials for this work.
1.6 SCOPE OF STUDY
This work
covers the evolution, growth and development of ethnic militias in Nigeria and
Delta region in particular. It also focuses on the militia groups in the Delta
region and their impact on Nigeria's security. Consequently, the work also
examines the influx of the militia groups in the Delta region, their scope and
mode of operation.
1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS
·
Ethnic:- According to Nnoli, ethnicity is characterized by a common consciousness
of being one in relation to the other relevant groups. He contends further that
ethnicity is a "Socio - political phenomenon associated with interactions
among masses of a society consisting of diverse ethnic groups, characterized by
cultural and linguistic similarities, values and common consciousness.
·
Militias:- according to the oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of current English
defines militias as a group of civilian trained as regular soldiers but
distinct from army. It could also be termed as a paramilitary groups who wanted
to enforce their political agenda by the use of arms and ammunition with the
explicit goal of confronting their regional petroleum resources.
·
Ethnic Uitias: Broadly speaking it can be said that ethnic militia groups are youth
based groups formed with the sole aim of protecting and promoting the interest
of their ethnic groups. The ethnic militias are not rebel groups or criminals
as they have been labeled by the Nigerian government. They do not aim to
capture power but seek to influence some decisions in favour of their people.
Some of the well-known ethnic groups in Nigeria include the Oodua People
Congress, The Movement for the Actualization of the sovereign state of Biafra,
The Egbesu Boys of Nigeria, the Bakasi Boys and Arewa People Congress.
·
Insecurity:- can be defined as the absence of freedom from danger or a feeling of
anxiety about safety. It involves a situation where individuals, communities,
groups or whole regions are not provided adequate protection to enable them
pursue their legitimate activities. This concept also applies to economic insecurity
which can resent from acute under-development and poverty which can also come
about from internal and external sources.
Indeed, the Niger - Delta has since 1960 been a region of
insecurity as the people demand for the control of their enormous mineral and
natural resources. More than forty years of oil exploration in the Delta region
by multinational oil corporations has increased economic insecurity on the
communities due largely to environmental degradation, pollution of the
environment and gas flaring. The increasing devastation of the agricultural and
aquatic life of the Delta due to oil exploration has left many people whose
source of livelihood depend on land and water poor and helpless.
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