The situation in the Niger delta hit a new low with the kidnapping of a 3 year old girl last week. (She has now been released and is back with her parents). Sadly it seems the whole Niger delta region has degenerated into a complete state of anarchy (and i'm talking by Naija standards here). Even Dokubo-Asari (Niger Delta's self styled 'nationalist') had his jeep snatched at gunpoint. Hard to tell if it was snatched by armed robbers or militants, since every hoodlum with a gun now calls themselves 'militants'.
There are now so many groups trying to get in on the 'ransom booty'. Apart from Jomo Gbomo's well known group Mend (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta), there's another faction of Mend headed by a "General Godswill Tamuno". There are also other groups like the Coalition for Military Action in the Niger Delta (Coma), the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), the Niger Delta Vigilante and the Martyrs Brigade. (Martyrs Brigade??? they sound like a bunch of jokers, as if anyone in the delta would even consider suicide bombing).
And not forgetting the original group that started it all off, Dokubo's Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF).
where will it all end?
Even if the Nigerian government gives in to all their demands, i doubt if any of the groups will suddenly decide to get rid of their weapons. There's just too much oil money at stake and once they have no common enemy to fight they will turn on each other like a pack of wolves, leading to a lot more violence in that region.
It's unlikely we'll see any peace in that part of the country until the last drop of oil is removed or the most likely scenario, the rest of the world finds alternative sources of energy.
6 comments:
...one more alternative you haven't considered, the least palatable, but given current events the most likely, the Army sent in to end it all.
OBJ had the oppoutunity to nip this at the buds at inception. But dude did not.
Niger Delta Kidnapper's Collective might just be the umbrella organisation for this charade.
However, I did find Catwalq's perspective on Islamic militancy in that region interesting as Mr Asari spots a Muslim name - I was not aware that Islam had any grounding in the Niger Delta.
All the US and Europe need to do is label those organisations terrorists groups and the game plan might change radically allowing the army to decimate the place in the Nigerian version of the War on Terrorism.
I am not sure it would yield the results we require of peace, rather the innocent human collateral would make it even more unstable.
YarÁdua would have to get some really smart minds on this thing because that is also where the golden goose lays it eggs.
ME I DON TIRE FOR ALL THIS NONSENSE...
Well looking at it well, they are hoodlums, miscreants, nuisance to the society, but be more considerate about their stance. Foreigners come to what they own, atleast where they live, mess up their environment rake in billions of dollars in return, yet they keep being treated like they dont exist... where's the imbalance there? Their kids are dying, their families are losing source of livelihood. Options to survive is barely available to them anymore, THANKS to the invaders... do you want them to just sit behind, fold their hands and watch? Not that I think that is possible eh...
Something gotta be done for them to be respected, all available means will be channeled, I wouldnt support the kidnap of an innocent 3 year old girl, neither will I condemn it!
haba, oga update now.
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