Nigeria: Niger Delta militants to hold protest September 12

Event

The coalition of Niger Delta Agitators (CNDA) has called for large-scale demonstrations to take place on Tuesday, September 12, in the Niger Delta states and has threatened to shut down all public institutions in the region (e.g. markets and schools). The CNDA is demanding the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is accused of poor governance and an inability to develop the country’s infrastructure. The group also reiterated its warning to northerners and ethnic-Yoruba residents to leave the region by October 1 and threatened to resume attacks on oil installations in the region.

Context

The Niger Delta region includes various southern states (Abia, Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River).

A significant number of militant groups are active in the Delta region, frequently attacking oil and gas facilities. The groups in primarily demand the redistribution of wealth generated by oil assets in the Niger Delta, as well as environmental protection initiatives to combat the damage caused by oil extraction activities over the past few decades. In 2016, attacks on oil facilities brought Nigeria's oil production to a 30-year low. Nigeria has historically depended on the oil sector for 70 percent of its government revenue and 90 percent of its foreign exchange.

On August 10, the CNDA had issued a statement threatening to resume attacks on oil and gas installations and infrastructure in the Niger Delta region. CNDA leaders also said that northerners and ethnic Yorubas living in the Niger Delta region must leave the region before October 1. The CNDA claims that northerners own over 90 percent of oil wells in the region, while members of the Yoruba ethnic group own 7 percent, leaving the local Igbo people with only about 2 percent.

These latest incidents come after the Nigerian government agreed to increase funding of amnesty programs directed at former rebels and promised to launch a number of infrastructure projects in the region in early 2017.

Advice

Individuals present in affected areas are advised to avoid all protests as a precaution and adhere all instructions issued by local authorities.

On a separate note, the security environment in Nigeria is complex and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.