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

Chapter VIII: The Niger Delta Crisis: Issues Challenges and Prospects
The second dimension relates to the various bands of criminal
cult gangs established, encouraged and funded by political
godfathers and dedicated to the theft of crude oil, kidnapping for
ransom, assassination of political opponents various acts of
brigandage and piracy in the creeks, and upon the territorial sea.
These also have and maintain their political connections at all
levels of government and the military. It was to the activities of
these that the Governor of Rivers State referred when he
lamented at the recent Vanguard Newspapers organized South-
South legislative retreat on constitution review 2008, that;
The attempt by Militants to hijack the Niger Delta
Struggle was proving increasingly counter productive
to the region’s overall interest, as their indiscriminate
killings, kidnapping activities and attacks on oil and
other business facilities have made the entire area
unsafe for legitimate business to thrive;…while the
sustained campaign and struggle to reverse the
prevalent injustice against Niger Delta people enjoys
the support and blessing of most well-meaning
people in and outside the country, any criminal
variant of this, expressed in the form of militant
activities, would certainly erode the nobility of the
cause. (Alfred Briggs; 2008; 39).
180