Emergence of Ethnic Militia Movements in the Niger Delta Region: From Voice to Armed Struggle in The New Democratic Nigeria (1999-Till Present)

With enormous human and natural resources potentials, Nigeria occupies a strategic position in the development of the African continent. The Niger Delta ravaging conflicts remains one of the biggest challenges of the democratic era since 1999, which is the main concern of this book. Through qualitative analysis and evaluation of the theory of grievance and collective action and that of social deprivation model, the book examines why the continued proliferation of militant groups in the Niger Delta area though, having a democratic government. The findings however, are that there seem to be no end in the near future to these conflicts and the proliferation of militia movements in the Niger Delta region. If issues such as neglect, deprivation and discrimination and resource control are not adequately taken care of there seem to be no ending to the crisis. The analysis sheds more light into lack of concrete developmental polices that further escalates the crisis in the region. It is therefore hoped that it becomes useful for professionals, international organizations and students of conflict management field and militant issues

TABLE OF CONTENTS...................................................................................................................................III

INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................................................1

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM.....................................................................................................................................3

Nigeria in Brief.............................................................................................................................................3

JUSTIFICATION OF THIS RESEARCH ........................................................................................................................6

RESEARCH QUESTIONS.........................................................................................................................................7

HYPOTHESIS........................................................................................................................................................8

STRUCTURE OF THE RESEARCH WORK...................................................................................................................8

CHAPTER 1: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND ANALYSIS OF RELATED THEORIES..................10

1.1THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ..........................................................................................................................10

1.2METHODOLOGY ...........................................................................................................................................14

1.3TESTING THE THEORY-INDUCED HYPOTHESIS ................................................................................................15

1.4LITERATURE REVIEW ....................................................................................................................................17

CHAPTER 2:  GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING OF THE NIGER DELTA AND ORIGIN OF CRISIS............25

2.1THE NIGER-DELTA AREA.............................................................................................................................25

2.1.1 The Geographical Composition and People of the Oil Producing Communities...................................25

2.2THE DISCOVERY OF OIL IN THE REGION .........................................................................................................29

2.3EMERGING OF THE NIGER DELTA CONFLICT...................................................................................................30

CHAPTER 3: RESOURCE DEPENDENCY, ANALYSIS OF VARIABLES AND TESTING THE THEORY-

INDUCED HYPOTHESIS.................................................................................................................................36

3.1RESOURCE DEPENDENCY..............................................................................................................................37

3.1.1 Poverty: And the Theory of Grievance and Collective Action...............................................................37

3.1.2 Corruption: And the Theory of Grievance and Collective Action..........................................................39

3.1.3 Weak Institutions: And the Theory of Social Deprivation.....................................................................41

3.1.4 State’s Interests: and the Theory of Social Deprivation........................................................................43

3.1.5 The Ogoni Oil Conflicts: Empirical Case I..........................................................................................44

3.1.6. The Odi Massacre: Empirical Case II................................................................................................48

CHAPTER 4: CURRENT FORCE OF ACTION AND THE COMPOSITION OF MILITANCY.................53

4.1THE CURRENT FORCE OF ACTION..................................................................................................................53

4.2COMPOSITION,TOOLS AND RESOURCE FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION .....................................................................55

CHAPTER 5: DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS AND MEDIA COVERAGE............................................58

5.1DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONS.......................................................................................................................58

5.1.1 Establishment of OMPADEC AND NDDC..........................................................................................58

5.1.2 Current Media Debate........................................................................................................................60

RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSION................................................................................................62

LIST OF REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................64