Military Dimension of the Niger Delta Crisis

The Niger Delta region is the nerve of the Nigerian economy. The region has witnessed series of conflicts largely due to the oil resources therein. Violent militancy in the Niger Delta assumed a new dimension in the mid nineties as the residents demanded resource control in the face of environmental degradation by multinational oil companies; and complaints of government marginalization. Past military operations conducted to curb militancy in the region further alienated the locals and gave the federal government a cruel face. The Joint Task Force (JTF) was thus established in 2003 to ensure security of oil installations and maintain stability in the region. This study considers military operations as a part of a holistic federal government strategy for lasting peace in the Niger Delta region. In particular, the study analyzes military information operations (IO) based on selected case studies. The research further proffers structural, doctrinal and infrastructural solutions to security forces' IO processes in the Niger Delta. These solutions, if adopted, are expected to make security forces more effective as part of the federal government's efforts to bring to a lasting and amicable end, the lingering crisis in the Niger Delta.