Contending Issues in the Niger Delta Crisis of Nigeria - Journal of ...

Chapter VI: The Struggle Against Exploitation and Marginalization:
A Historical Survey of and Implication of the Uprisings and Protests in Nigeria’s
Niger Delta
youths. This was the driving force of the grand convention of Ijaw
youths in Kaiama, the hometown of late Major Isaac Jasper Adaka
Boro to reassess the position of the Ijaw ethnic nationality in the
Nigerian Federal State on December, 11, 1998. At the end of the
meeting, an open letter was addressed to the government of Nigeria
and multinational companies operating in the area, requesting for
more local control of oil revenues and better environmental practices.
This document was known as “Kaiama Declaration” which gave the
Government of Nigeria up to December 31, 1998 to respond positively
to their demands. However, the Federal Government responded
negatively to the demands of the Ijaw youths (Ekanem, 2000).
3e) The Jomo Gbomo-Led Movement for the Emancipation of
the Niger Delta (MEND)
Amongst other faceless militant groups is one of the groups that
have claimed responsibility for cases of kidnapping and hostagetaking.
In a statement issued by Gbomo (2006:16), he owned up an
attack and destruction of Agip installations in Brass, Bayelsa State. In
this words:
Today December 7, 2006 from 0600 hrs –
08000hrs, fighters of the movement for the
emancipation of the Niger delta, attacked and
destroyed the Agip installation in brass … This
attack was in pursuance of our pledge to halt crude
oil exploration from Nigeria.
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