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ChrisAlbin-Lackey
tegyofviolentriggingthatsawOdiliwin98percentofthepopularvotein2003.
ThepollsthatyearweresoviolentinRiversthatonelocalcivilsocietygroup
comparedthecampaigntoanlowintensityarmedstruggle”
20.Thewifeofone
widely-respectedoppositioncandidateforSenatewasforcedtovoteforherhus-
band’sopponentatgunpoint,mirroringthebasicexperienceofmanywould-be
votersonelectionday
21.
Aftertheelections,AsariandGovernorOdilihadapublicfallingoutthatled
toall-outwarfarebetweenAsari’sgroupandtheNigerDeltaVigilante(NDV)
ofAtekeTom,whowasemployedinthesamecapacityasAsariduringthe2003
polls.AtekewassentintobreakthepowerofAsari’sfightersin2004,andthe
subsequentfightingplungedPortHarcourtandsurroundingcommunitiesinto
astateofterror.Dozensofbystanderslosttheirlives
22.
Asari’stransformationintoasymbolofNigerDeltanmilitancy”wasthus
averycuriousone,givenhisrootsasaviolentenforcerofthepoliticalstatus
quo.Inthat,hisexampleisnotunique.Manyofthearmedgroupsthatformed
thecomponentpartsofMEND,whichprofessesapositionofabsoluteresistance
towhatitdescribesfederalmarginalizationoftheNigerDelta,hiredthemselves
outaspoliticalthugstoPDPcandidatesinthe2007electionsoracceptedpay-
mentstorefrainfrominterferingwithPDPriggingstrategies.Thiswasnotso
muchoutofloyaltytothepartyasasimplematterofeconomics.Asoneformer
armedgroupmemberputitinaninterviewwithHumanRightsWatch:ThePDP
hasruledforeightyearsandsotheyhavethemoneyandtheyhavethepower…
Otherpartiessay,whenweareingovernmentyouwillenjoymoney-butthe
PDPwillpayyouimmediately,sopeoplepreferthis.WhatthePDPis,isguns
andmoney
23.
Indeedmuchofthearmedviolencecommonlylumpedtogetherunderthetheme
ofnmilitancy”byoutsideobserversandarmedgroupmembersthemselvesis
moreakintocriminalactivitythanpoliticalstruggle.InRiversStateinparticular,
adizzyingproliferationofarmedgroupshasstagedbankrobberies,kidnapped
expatriateoilworkersinordertoobtainlucrativeransompaymentsfromtheir
employers
24,andfoughtbloodyturfwarsonbehalfoflocalpoliticianswhoare
largelytoblamefortheconditionsthathaveinspiredpoliticalmilitancyinthe
firstplace.
20HumanRightsWatch,Nigeria’s2003Elections:TheUnacknowledgedViolence,June2004.
21Ibidem.
22SeeHumanRightsWatch,RiversandBlood:Guns,OilandPowerinNigeria’sRivers
State,February2005.
23HumanRightsWatchinterview,PortHarcourt,April2007.
24TheNigerDelta’skidnappingepidemicbeganasapoliticalstatementbyMENDbutquickly
turnedintoacottageindustryundernoonescontrolandcarriedoutprimarilyforprofitasarmed
groupsbegantorealizehowlucrativeransompaymentscouldbe.
