Conflict in the Niger Delta

Conflict in the Niger Delta
	; Map of Nigeria numerically showing states typically considered part of the Niger Delta region: 1. Abia, 2. Akwa Ibom, 3. Bayelsa, 4. Cross River, 5. Delta, 6. Edo, 7. Imo, 8. Ondo, 9. Rivers
Date	12 March 2003 - present; (21 years, 2 months and 3 weeks)
Location	Nigeria Niger Delta Abia State; Akwa Ibom State; Bayelsa State; Cross River State; Delta State; Edo State; Imo State; Ondo State; Rivers State; ;
Status	Ongoing ~15,000 militants signed for presidential amnesty program;
Belligerents
Nigerian government Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (since 2019); Nigerian Armed Forces; List Abia State; Akwa Ibom State; Bayelsa State; Cross River State; Delta State; Edo State; Imo State; Ondo State; Rivers State; ; supported by:; Belarus; Israel	Niger Delta Republic Niger Delta Avengers; (2016–present); Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate; (2016–present); Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force; (2016–present); Niger Delta Red Squad; (2016–present); Adaka Boro Avengers; (2016–present); Asawana Deadly Force of Niger Delta; (2016–present); Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders; (2016–present); New Delta Avengers (2017–present); Niger Delta Marine Force; (2017–present); Reformed Egbesu Fraternities Red Egbesu Water Lions; (2016–present); Reformed Egbesu Boys of the Niger Delta; (2016–present); Egbesu Mightier Fraternity; (2016–present); Biafran separatists (from 2021) Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta; (2004–14); Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force; (2003–09); Niger Delta Liberation Front; (2005–14); Joint Revolutionary Council; (2004–14); Niger Delta Vigilante; (2004–09); Supported by:; IPOB elements Bandits Pirates Nigerian mafia Black Axe; The Outlaws; Eiye;
Commanders and leaders
Bola Tinubu; (2023–present); Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; (2023–present); Kayode Egbetokun; (2023–present) ; Mohammed Badaru Abubakar; (2023–present); Christopher Musa; (2023–present) ; Taoreed Lagbaja; (2023–present); Emmanuel Ogalla; (2023–present); Hassan Abubakar; (2023–present) ; Alex Otti; (2023–present); Umo Eno; (2023–present); Douye Diri; (2020–present); Bassey Otu; (2023–present); Sheriff Oborevwori; (2023–present); Godwin Obaseki; (2016–present); Hope Uzodinma; (2020–present); Lucky Aiyedatiwa; (2023–present); Siminalayi Fubara; (2023–present); Former commanders Muhammadu Buhari ; Goodluck Jonathan ; Umaru Musa Yar'Adua† ; Olusegun Obasanjo ; Mohammed Shata ; Iyorchia Ayu ; Magaji Muhammed ; Oluyemi Adeniji ; Godwin Abbe ; Shettima Mustafa ; Emmanuel Iheanacho ; Abba Moro ; Abdulrahman Dambazau ; Mustafa Adebayo Balogun ; Sunday Ehindero ; Mike Mbama Okiro ; Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo ; Hafiz Ringim ; Mohammed Dikko Abubakar ; Suleiman Abba ; Solomon Arase ; Ibrahim Kpotun Idris ; Mohammed Adamu ; Usman Alkali Baba ; Bashir Salihi Magashi ; Mansur Dan Ali ; Aliyu Mohammed Gusau ; Labaran Maku ; Olusola Obada ; Haliru Mohammed Bello ; Adetokunbo Kayode ; Godwin Abbe ; Shettima Mustafa ; Yayale Ahmed ; Rabiu Kwankwaso ; Theophilus Danjuma ; Lucky Irabor ; Abayomi Olonisakin ; Alex Badeh ; Ola Ibrahim ; Oluseyi Petinrin ; Paul Dike ; Owoye Andrew Azazi ; Martin Luther Agwai ; Alexander Ogomudia ; Ibrahim Ogohi ; Faruk Yahaya ; Ibrahim Attahiru† ; Tukur Yusuf Buratai ; Kenneth Minimah ; Azubuike Ihejirika ; Abdulrahman Dambazau ; Luka Yusuf ; Owoye Andrew Azazi ; Martin Luther Agwai ; Alexander Ogomudia ; Awwal Zubairu Gambo ; Ibok Ekwe Ibas ; Usman Oyibe Jibrin ; Dele Joseph Ezeoba ; Ola Ibrahim ; Ishaya Ibrahim ; Ganiyu Tunde Adegboyega Adekeye ; Samuel Olajide Afolayan ; Isiaka Oladayo Amao ; Sadique Abubakar ; Adesola Nunayon Amosu ; Alex Badeh ; Mohammed Dikko Umar ; Oluseyi Petinrin ; Paul Dike ; Jonah Wuyep ; Okezie Ikpeazu ; Theodore Orji ; Orji Uzor Kalu ; Udom Gabriel Emmanuel ; Godswill Akpabio ; Victor Attah ; Henry Seriake Dickson ; Nestor Binabo ; Timipre Sylva ; Werinipre Seibarugo ; Goodluck Jonathan ; Diepreye Alamieyeseigha ; Ben Ayade ; Liyel Imoke ; Donald Duke ; Ifeanyi Okowa ; Emmanuel Uduaghan ; James Ibori ; Adams Oshiomhole ; Oserheimen Osunbor ; Lucky Igbinedion ; Achike Udenwa ; Ikedi Ohakim ; Rochas Okorocha ; Emeka Ihedioha ; Rotimi Akeredolu ; Olusegun Mimiko ; Olusegun Agagu ; Adebayo Adefarati ; Nyesom Wike ; Rotimi Amaechi ; Celestine Omehia ; Peter Odili ;	Henry Okah (POW); Government Ekpemupolo; Ebikabowei Victor-Ben; Dokubo-Asari; John Togo †; General "Busta Rhymes"; Corporal "Oleum Bellum" (New Delta Avengers); General Benikeme Hitler (Niger Delta Marine Force) Ateke Tom Soboma George †
Strength
150,000 soldiers	Unknown
Casualties and losses
	2,500+ killed; ~15,000 militants surrendered as of 2023

The current conflict in the Niger Delta first arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and a number of the Niger Delta's minority ethnic groups who feel they are being exploited, particularly the Ogoni and the Ijaw. Ethnic and political unrest continued throughout the 1990s despite the return to democracy^[17] and the election of the Obasanjo government in 1999. Struggle for oil wealth and environmental harm over its impacts has fueled violence between ethnic groups, causing the militarization of nearly the entire region by ethnic militia groups, Nigerian military and police forces, notably the Nigerian Mobile Police.^[18] The violence has contributed to Nigeria's ongoing energy supply crisis by discouraging foreign investment in new power generation plants in the region.

From 2004 on, violence also hit the oil industry with piracy and kidnappings. In 2009, a presidential amnesty program accompanied with support and training of ex-militants proved to be a success. Thus until 2011, victims of crimes were fearful of seeking justice for crimes committed against them because of a failure to prosecute those responsible for human rights abuses.^[19]

^ "Amnesty Programme: Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders berate those seeking to oust Prof. Dokubo". Vanguard-nigeria. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
^ Siarhei Bohdan.Belarusian Military Cooperation With Developing Nations: Dangerous Yet Legal // Belarus Digest, 5 December 2013
^ Нигерийские солдаты проходят специальную подготовку в Беларуси для борьбы с боевиками в дельте Нигера Archived 2018-07-16 at the Wayback Machine - Центр специальной подготовки Республики Беларусь (in Russian)
^ "VK.com | VK". m.vk.com.
^ "Инструкторы из Израиля готовят нигерийский спецназ". Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-09-09.
^ Israel sends experts to help hunt for Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamists. Archived 2018-09-10 at the Wayback Machine The Jerusalem Post; 05/20/2014 18:03.
^ Minahan, James B. (2016). "Urhobo". Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood. p. 442–443. ISBN 978-1-61069-954-9.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Tife Owolabi (14 June 2017). "New militant group threatens Niger Delta oil war - in Latin". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
^ ‘Asari Dokubo asking Niger Delta to join Biafra is a suicide mission’, PM News, 17 March 2021. Accessed 18 March 2021.
^ Ludovica Iaccino. "Pro-Biafrans claim Niger Delta Avengers link: Who is behind group that halted Nigeria's oil production?". IBTimes. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
^ Cite error: The named reference taz03092021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ "Nigeria's Cults and their Role in the Niger Delta Insurgency" by Bestman Wellington, The Jamestown Foundation, 6 July 2007
^ "BBC News - Nigerian militants seize workers from oil rig". bbc.co.uk. 2010-11-09. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
^ "FPIF". fpif.org. 2003-07-01. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2003-07-01.
^ "Background" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
^ ""Armed Conflicts Report - Nigeria"". Archived from the original on 2006-10-10. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
^ Ehighelua, Ikhide (2007). Environmental Protection Law. New Pages Law Publishing Co. Effurun/Warri. pp. 247–250. ISBN 978-9780629328.
^ Koos, Carlo; Pierskalla, Jan (2015-01-20). "The Effects of Oil Production and Ethnic Representation on Violent Conflict in Nigeria: A Mixed-Methods Approach". Terrorism and Political Violence. 28 (5): 888–911. doi:10.1080/09546553.2014.962021. ISSN 0954-6553. S2CID 62815154.
^ "Violence in Nigeria's Oil Rich Rivers State in 2004 : Summary". Hrw.org. Archived from the original on 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2011-04-23.

[1] "Amnesty Programme: Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders berate those seeking to oust Prof. Dokubo". Vanguard-nigeria. Retrieved 2023-02-03.

[2] Siarhei Bohdan.Belarusian Military Cooperation With Developing Nations: Dangerous Yet Legal // Belarus Digest, 5 December 2013

[3] Нигерийские солдаты проходят специальную подготовку в Беларуси для борьбы с боевиками в дельте Нигера Archived 2018-07-16 at the Wayback Machine - Центр специальной подготовки Республики Беларусь (in Russian)

[4] "VK.com | VK". m.vk.com.

[5] "Инструкторы из Израиля готовят нигерийский спецназ". Archived from the original on 2018-09-10. Retrieved 2018-09-09.

[6] Israel sends experts to help hunt for Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamists. Archived 2018-09-10 at the Wayback Machine The Jerusalem Post; 05/20/2014 18:03.

[Minahan-2016-LC-7] Minahan, James B. (2016). "Urhobo". Encyclopedia of Stateless Nations: Ethnic and National Groups around the World. Santa Barbara, California: Greenwood. p. 442–443. ISBN 978-1-61069-954-9.

[security_avengers-8] Tife Owolabi (14 June 2017). "New militant group threatens Niger Delta oil war - in Latin". Reuters. Archived from the original on 21 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.

[9] ‘Asari Dokubo asking Niger Delta to join Biafra is a suicide mission’, PM News, 17 March 2021. Accessed 18 March 2021.

[10] Ludovica Iaccino. "Pro-Biafrans claim Niger Delta Avengers link: Who is behind group that halted Nigeria's oil production?". IBTimes. Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.

[taz03092021-11] Cite error: The named reference taz03092021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[12] "Nigeria's Cults and their Role in the Niger Delta Insurgency" by Bestman Wellington, The Jamestown Foundation, 6 July 2007

[13] "BBC News - Nigerian militants seize workers from oil rig". bbc.co.uk. 2010-11-09. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2011-04-23.

[14] "FPIF". fpif.org. 2003-07-01. Archived from the original on 2011-01-26. Retrieved 2003-07-01.

[15] "Background" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-04-23.

[16] ""Armed Conflicts Report - Nigeria"". Archived from the original on 2006-10-10. Retrieved 9 October 2015.

[17] Ehighelua, Ikhide (2007). Environmental Protection Law. New Pages Law Publishing Co. Effurun/Warri. pp. 247–250. ISBN 978-9780629328.

[18] Koos, Carlo; Pierskalla, Jan (2015-01-20). "The Effects of Oil Production and Ethnic Representation on Violent Conflict in Nigeria: A Mixed-Methods Approach". Terrorism and Political Violence. 28 (5): 888–911. doi:10.1080/09546553.2014.962021. ISSN 0954-6553. S2CID 62815154.

[19] "Violence in Nigeria's Oil Rich Rivers State in 2004 : Summary". Hrw.org. Archived from the original on 2008-11-02. Retrieved 2011-04-23.

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