MILITANCY AND THE AMNESTY PROGRAM IN NIGER DELTA REGION OF NIGERIA 2005-2014

Abstract

The clamour for resource control by the Niger Delta region has become one of the contentious issues in Nigeria. The desire to address the structural deficiency gave birth to militancy. The study examines the activities of militant, and amnesty programme within the context of understanding justice and equity in the Niger Delta Region of the country. The study employs the use of content analysis to carry out the task which relies only on the use of secondary data collection. The paper argued that amnesty package have focused almost entirely on military and security objective as expressed in the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programmes. The study revealed national loss of income and resources; security challenges; downsizing of oil companies’ employees; dwindling foreign direct investment; and destruction of national unity among others as implications of the militancy in the region. The paper concluded by recommending more proactive response to the crisis in the region, an all-encompassing approach, an articulated regulatory framework acceptable to all stakeholders, for there to exist a modicum of Niger Delta security, and by extension, a secured federation.