From "pirates" to "militants": A historical perspective on anti-state and anti-oil company mobilization among the Ijaw of Warri, Western Niger Delta

Abstract

Against the background of recent attempts to explain insurgency in the Niger Delta in the context of the “greed” of militant groups, this article argues that insurgency can best be explained by examining the social origins of militant groups. Focusing on the case of the Ijaw of Warri, from among whom the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) emerged, the article seeks to demonstrate that insurgency is the consequence of longstanding experiences of political and social-cultural marginalization. Militant groups emerged as a result of the failure of the state and oil companies to respond to peaceful protests in previous decades.