AN OVERVIEW OF THE MILITARIZATION OF THE NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA

Fidelis A.E. Paki

Department of Political Science,

Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island 560001, Nigeria

Email: paki_fae@yahoo.com

Abstract

This paper examined the militarization of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It observed that the Niger Delta region of Nigeria is an over militarized region. This is as a result of the contest for the resources in the region by internal and external forces. In the years before colonialism, it was the consolidation of city-states, the slave trade and later the legitimate trade in palm oil, but today the issue of contest is crude oil and gas resources. This has led to high military presence in the region and confrontation between the armed forces and other para-military units in the Niger Delta with organized militant movements and dissenting element in communities, which has led to the destruction of oil bearing communities. Therefore, the paper suggested that government should address the demands of the people of the resource rich Niger Delta with the aim of demilitarizing the region.