Helicopter Attacks In Niger Delta

This article is about a helicopter that was attacked by Nigerian gunmen in southern Nigeria. The helicopter, carrying 11 Italian oil company passengers, reached its destination safely with only one person injured in the attack. MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) was responsible for this. They warned the oil industry would target their helicopters in the future as well. MEND continually attacks oil facilities in the Niger Delta in order to get a portion of the oil resources. Gunboats are also being used as a form of defense and violence. These attacks have caused the Nigerian daily oil production to drop .6 million barrels in the past three years.


Read More.


This article relates to what we have been learning in class by what social factors affect the economy. Because there have been so many violent crimes, oil production, which is the main source of wealth in the Niger Delta region, has slowed tremendously. This results in a poor economy, and not allowing the region to prosper as much as it should. Militiant groups, like MEND, cause problems in trying to take oil for themselves, going to dramatic measures. The society is too selfish and can't function correctly to provide a safe and stable economy.

grade this post.

Gunmen Kill Football Fans

A bus of football fans on their way to a game in southern Nigeria were ambused by a group of gunmen. At least six of the fans were killed and some are still in the hospital. The excecution-style murders were said to be revenge from a previous nightclub shooting. Bayelsa and Delta, where this occured, is a common place for shootings. Criminal gangs and militant groups frequently raid vehicles to hold people for ransom. Hundreds of people have been victims of "cult" violence such as this. Around election time, politicians are even known to pay campus gangs to commit crimes to other competitors. These violent ambushes have forced international companies out of this gas and oil-rich region for their safefty.

Read more.

This article relates to what we have been learning in class such as political violence, civil society, and the economy. Gangs that concentrate in Nigeria create violent attacks on one another for retaliation. Political figures contribute to this violence by supporting campus gangs. Because there is so much violence among the Niger Delta, it cuts into the level of economy. Nigeria could be profiting much more in their oil and gas industry, but because of all the violence, foreign companies have to remove staff and cut back their operations for safety precautions.

grade this post.

Texas Company Fined for Bribing Nigerian Officials

Houston, Texas-based Halliburton Company, which until 2007 owned KBR (Kellogg, Brown, and Root) company, has been fined for bribing Nigerian oil officials. KBR wanted contracts in order to build a $6-billion gas liquefaction plant in the Niger Delta. This plant has been damaging to Nigeria’s economy in that it helps and supports major international oil companies to ship Nigerian crude oil out of the country for refining, which drops the profits that Africans could obtain for their valuable resource. KBR has yet to admit or deny this bribe. These alleged bribes occurred for an entire decade (1994-2004), during this time, KBR’s parent company, Halliburton was headed by Dick Cheney, who stepped down in 2000 to become vice president.

Nigeria relies heavily on its oil and gas-related resources which account for 87 percent of its foreign exchanges. Companies like KBR and the Houston oil companies are slowing and hurting the Nigerian economy but are not helping in any way; they are being selfish. Neither KBR nor most of Houston oil companies have provided any charitable services to help revitalize Nigerians, who have endured the foreign extraction of their local resource wealth.

Future political plans include Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua to supervise and control corrupt illegitimate robbery of public funds, and monitor the performance of multinational oil companies.

Read More.

This article relates back to what we have been learning in class through economic challenges, political power, and international interests. The Nigerian economy is mainly based upon oil, and with international powers taking away it's one valuable natural resource, it doesn't allow African's to be profiting as much as they should. Reforms to fix this issue depends on the President to monitor the international companies that Nigeria works with in order to support economic revitalization.

Gunmen free nine year old Nigerian boy

A nine year old boy was kidnapped and released by a gang in Nigeria's oil-producing Niger Delta. His eleven year old sister was killed in an atempt to protect her brother on their way to school last week. The two children's father was an employee of Royal Dutch Shell. Kidnapping is becoming increasingly common in the region, espeacially the kidnapping of oil workers. Emmanuel Awonusi, the boy who was kidnapped is said to have been released unharmed. The militant groups are trying to achieve a fairer distribution of oil wealth, and often times use deadly tactics to get their point across.

read more

This article reveals social cleavages caused by economic tensions. The militant groups think that there is an unequal distribution of oil wealth and have in turn resorted to violence. This cleavage has caused many innocent lives to be taken and caused much strife within the region.

"Grade this Post"