Fellow nairalanders,
This issue of these militants is getting out of hand,we might think this is a small issue but this can lead to war in this country if not properly handled,but i ask myself,what is is that these militant seek for?is violence the only language that the government of Nigeria understands?what exactly is the way forward?please lets discuss this matter in the best matured way ever.

Your comments

I am sure it will never lead to war, cos Nigerians cant handle war.
These people needs to be heard, how can a nation be making billions from the resources located in their area and the land is messed up and their farmers cant farm, their fishermen can fish and feed their family and earn some income, and yet you want them to be looking like lookman? let us get real.

Sri Lanka just ended nearly three decades of civil war.

Maybe this saga will end the same way or the country will break up.

We'll see sha.

Fhemmmy:

I am sure it will never lead to war, cos Nigerians cant handle war.

True but what if it gets out of hand. in my own opinion, its already out of hand and requires all attention from FGN. but hey, the Nigerian factor wont permit.

Fhemmmy:

These people needs to be heard, how can a nation be making billions from the resources located in their area and the land is messed up and their farmers cant farm, their fishermen can fish and feed their family and earn some income, and yet you want them to be looking like lookman? let us get real.

thats the saddest thing abt the story. i still beliv the best way to resolve the issue is thru dialogue.violence just worsens already bad situations. if we had a listening govt, that will be possible but we dont. again nigerian factor.

What we need to ask ourselves is that if these militants are fighting for the people of the Niger Delta or fighting to enriched their pocket and bank accounts? the thing is; no matter how powerful their weapons are, they cant withstand the government. By kidnapping expatriate (oil) workers and demanding for ransom from the government, it will not solved the fight, they should think of tomorrow, what will be the outcome of their unborn children after collecting the ransom from the government, the next day, they will do the same thing and blow up oil blocks all in the name of fighting for Niger Delta people and demand more ransom, is that not bad? so lets be realistic about this.

We are forgetting one vital thing here,which is these act are majorly olitically motivated,there are people in high places who gains alot as result of this catastrophe going on inthat region,needless for me to mention that some senators and members of the house of rep.were named as some of the people who sponsor the kidnapping of expertrates and demands millions of dollars from the state governemnt.

Moreso,i remember vividly,during the last clash between the Ijaws and Itsekiris during the dispensation of the former Delta state governor James Ibori,used that crisis as a means of enriching himself,declaring well over 120m naira for security vote monthly and the crises lasted for almost a year,do you see where these militants are having their powers from now?and you say it cannot lead to war,remember wars starts from little things like this

like they say, just follow the money trail.

Death sentence, kill them all.

AjaraEwuro:

Death sentence, kill them all.

Don't be foolish with sugestion like that, why we no kill you. nonsense

there wont be war

The Delta violence benefits the government/local rulers in a financially perverse way.
They will maintain a localized low intensity conflict for years and keep collecting the money.
it all comes down to greed

Niga Lurva:

Don't be foolish with sugestion like that, why we no kill you. nonsense

Because I am not a militant. Militants kill, so why not kill them?

I think they are just making noise.They wont do nothing.
war i doubt anyone living in Nigeria wud be willing to go that lane

AjaraEwuro:

Because I am not a militant. Militants kill, so why not kill them?

Militants kill for a reason, you can't siddon and let other tribe get rich from your own resouce.

[size=8pt][b]fellow country men, ve always maintain the position that the guy may seems wrong but we must remember Lenin of blessed memory stole to finance the struggle in the then war against the tyrants.
[/b][/size]

[b]this boys do not ve any organize means of funding the struggle so they ve to make do with what they ve.
[/b]

mind u if any known figure should release funds to this guys, such man is in soup and will be charged with treason.


[i]finally SNC is the answer. [/i]

foye57:

True but what if it gets out of hand. in my own opinion, its already out of hand and requires all attention from FGN. but hey, the Nigerian factor wont permit.

thats the saddest thing abt the story. i still beliv the best way to resolve the issue is thru dialogue.violence just worsens already bad situations. if we had a listening govt, that will be possible but we dont. again nigerian factor.

I agree with you as well, however, how do they dialogue, we have a govt that has no idea what it means to dialogue, all this people are asking for is development, train their youth and make sure there are ways for them to take care of their family and i don't think that is too much for them to ask for.
Else, what do you think will happen if the country allow every state to take care of their own natural resources and just give something to the FG, see places like kano and kaduna with almost nothing enjoying everything.

Way forward? Using the American logic, I'd say "Kill 'em all and let God sort them out".

Aint no way forward with armed men, who are hell bent on looking after their own pockets. . . . .Once again. . . Kill'em all like Duke NUkem.

ElRazur:

Way forward? Using the American logic, I'd say "Kill 'em all and let God sort them out".

Aint no way forward with armed men, who are hell bent on looking after their own pockets. . . . .Once again. . . Kill'em all like Duke NUkem.

Do u by any chance know why they are fighting or what they are fighting for?

Fhemmmy:

Do u by any chance know why they are fighting or what they are fighting for?

Dude. I am pretty much aware of what they are trying to push across as a moral reasons for their actions. However, they lost the sympathy and support of people like me, once they started kidnapping people in exchange for ransom. Ransom that was never used in anyway to support the people they claimed to be fighting for in the first place.

I was also outraged, when as a result of their actions [partly] the price of petrol at where I live jumped off. [If you are in the UK, you would recall that Petrol price reached about 1.50pounds a litre as an indirect result of their actions and other stuff.]

From the top of my head, Nigeria have lost about 25% of their output since they [militant] started.

Finally, under Nigeria's constitution, these groups are illegal. Period.

ElRazur:

Dude. I am pretty much aware of what they are trying to push across as a moral reasons for their actions. However, they lost the sympathy and support of people like me, once they started kidnapping people in exchange for ransom. Ransom that was never used in anyway to support the people they claimed to be fighting for in the first place.

I was also outraged, when as a result of their actions [partly] the price of petrol at where I live jumped off. [If you are in the UK, you would recall that Petrol price reached about 1.50pounds a litre as an indirect result of their actions and other stuff.]

From the top of my head, Nigeria have lost about 25% of their output since they [militant] started.

Finally, under Nigeria's constitution, these groups are illegal. Period.

Mind you not all that are in the fight for the cause are kidnapping.
Even though, i support you that any kidnappers must and should be killed, but this people fighting legally for their rights should be listen to and not just be brushed aside, but we have a govt that dont give a hoot.

Fhemmmy:

Mind you not all that are in the fight for the cause are kidnapping.
Even though, i support you that any kidnappers must and should be killed, but this people fighting legally for their rights should be listen to and not just be brushed aside, but we have a govt that dont give a hoot.

MEND is the house-hold name in this type of "industry". I believe they have one or two hostages to date. Nigeria's JTF is going after MEND. . . . I really do not see the problem.

There are ways to go about things, however resulting to arms - I mean Big guns [RPG, Mines and light artilleries etc] - kiddnapping, extortion and ransome ain't gonna get the people on their side in the long run.

Our people never get tired of war, it seems. That's our lifeblood and the values instilled in us from right within the womb.

Expect retaliatory attacks, more kidnappings, and further punishment until something gives somewhere. In a vicious cycle.


and as usual the small fry fight and die on behalf of the bigwigs staying behind/elsewhere in wealth and safety. If it isnt one thing, it'll be another.

ElRazur:

MEND is the house-hold name in this type of "industry". I believe they have one or two hostages to date. Nigeria's JTF is going after MEND. . . . I really do not see the problem.

There are ways to go about things, however resulting to arms - I mean Big guns [RPG, Mines and light artilleries etc] - kiddnapping, extortion and ransome ain't gonna get the people on their side in the long run.

i dont blv that the MENDs are the one involved in the kidnapping.

tpiah:

Our people never get tired of war, it seems. That's our lifeblood and the values instilled in us from right within the womb.

Expect retaliatory attacks, more kidnappings, and further punishment until something gives somewhere. In a vicious cycle.


and as usual the small fry fight and die on behalf of the bigwigs staying behind/elsewhere in wealth and safety. If it isnt one thing, it'll be another.

it is rather sad that some people allowed themselves to be used by the big wigs, however, the govt needs to find a way to deal with the request of the people.

Fhemmmy:

i dont blv that the MENDs are the one involved in the kidnapping.

Unless my memory is a bit rusty, don't they have one British hostage with them? And only recently released another one on health grounds?

Fhemmmy:

it is rather sad that some people allowed themselves to be used by the big wigs, however, the govt needs to find a way to deal with the request of the people.

from what most people have been seeing and seen in Nigeria, there's nothing that can be done to satisfy Nigerians.

A lot of the states are slowly gearing up towards making an attempt at development. But nothing satisfies people.

The problem is innate, and one cant help but wonder where and how it began. I dont believe it started with Nigeria's creation. Rather, it was halted by it, and continued as soon as the Brits were gone.

I dont know if solely blaming Europeans for Africa's problems, is on the mark either.

ElRazur:

Way forward? Using the American logic, I'd say "Kill 'em all and let God sort them out".

Aint no way forward with armed men, who are hell bent on looking after their own pockets. . . . .Once again. . . Kill'em all like Duke NUkem.

ElRazur:

Way forward? Using the American logic, I'd say "Kill 'em all and let God sort them out".

Aint no way forward with armed men, who are hell bent on looking after their own pockets. . . . .Once again. . . Kill'em all like Duke NUkem.

[i][b]some times i read wit amusement the contribution of our fellow country men.

killing them cant solve the problem rather compound it.

the best option is to convey SNC. though some folks will claim NASS is their already.
mind u, NASS cant tackle this menace

[/b][/i]

ElRazur:

Unless my memory is a bit rusty, don't they have one British hostage with them? And only recently released another one on health grounds?

If they were involved in the kidnapping, that is wrong like i said, however, the govt needs to listen to them as well and see to what they fighting for.

tpiah:

from what most people have been seeing and seen in Nigeria,  there's nothing that can be done to satisfy Nigerians.

A lot of the states are slowly gearing up towards making an attempt at development. But nothing satisfies people.

The problem is innate, and one cant help but wonder where and how it began. I dont believe it started with Nigeria's creation. Rather, it was halted by it, and continued as soon as the Brits were gone.

I dont know if solely blaming Europeans for Africa's problems, is on the mark either.

yes people cant be satisfied, but at least if the govt cld point to what they ave done so far, we will be able to say dem do well, like at present pple are celebrating Fashola and other govs that have been doing great.

Fhemmmy:

If they were involved in the kidnapping, that is wrong like i said, however, the govt needs to listen to them as well and see to what they fighting for.

From what I remember reading, they are. I have seen them on interviewed objectively by a BBC reporter and quite frankly, they never convinced the like of me.

Like I said their approach won't gain a long term support. They are pretty much isolated - no foreign power would come their aid, Nigeria's army is too flipping strong for them etc.

Fhemmmy:

If they were involved in the kidnapping, that is wrong like i said, however, the govt needs to listen to them as well and see to what they fighting for.

the only means of dialogue is the SNC.

u canty expect the militant to be there rather they will request the participation of some figures that believe in their course even none Nigerians [b][/b]

[/quote

the only means of dialogue is the SNC.

u canty expect the militant to be there rather they will request the participoation of some figures that believe in their course even none Nigerians [b][/b][quote][/quote]

@Fhemmy

The army has freed 17 hostages, mostly foreigners, held by militants fighting for a greater share of oil revenues.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) declared "all-out war" on the Nigerian government after an attack on one of its camps deep in the swamp lands on Friday.

That makes them a legitimate target in my opinion. Like I said before, Kill'em all and let god sort them out.

A second hostage being held by Mend militants was killed in fighting with government forces.

Taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8054585.stm

You see, they are nothing but armed and aggressive criminals. They should all be hunted down and shot.