A culture of vengeance

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27 March 2011

A culture of vengeance

The Delta killings

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On the same day that Mr. Agbobu expressed the view that Zaki-Biam and its inhabitants should have been erased, his boss, the Minister of Defense, the retired army general Theophilus Danjuma, was defending the reprisal killings then unfolding in the Niger Delta. Following continuous attacks on oil installations by militants in the restive region in early 2003, and violence between warring communities, the Federal Government drafted soldiers to the region. On March 12, 2003, a clash between soldiers and some outlaws in the Ijaw-dwelling areas of Delta State left four soldiers dead.

The Ijaw group under the aegis of the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities also accused Government forces of attacking villages and innocent civilians.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Philip Thomas, reported a meeting with Mr. Danjuma on March 27, 2003, to discuss the continuous bloody clash between soldiers and the Ijaw militants. Mr. Danjuma "blew up" during the discussion, according to Mr. Thomas, and objected to Mr. Thomas' suggestion that soldiers exercise restraint in their revenge onslaught in Delta State.

"They killed four of our soldiers," the then defence chief, himself a decorated war veteran and infantryman, repeatedly said, according to Mr. Thomas, "and we must do what we have to do." Mr. Danjuma questioned the moral qualification of both Mr. Thomas and his government to lecture the Nigerian government in such matters, "given what you are doing in Iraq." Repeated attempts to reach the former minister for a reaction to the contents of the cable, were unsuccessful.

Enter Mr. Obasanjo

It was not only Mr. Danjuma who saw nothing wrong in the killings that went on in Delta State; the former President also defended the Federal Government's position.

Less than 24 hours before Mr. Danjuma met with the British High Commissioner, Mr. Obasanjo also justified the government's actions. According to Mr. Jeter, in a cable sent to the White House, and dated April 3, 2002, he and Mr. Thomas met the former President on the night of Wednesday, 26 March.

In the face of the violence that had already taken place, Mr. Jeter urged restraint by Nigerian military units deployed to the area in their bid to contain the Ijaw militants." But Mr. Obasanjo would have none of that. "Obasanjo inveighed against these militants for killing several soldiers, commenting that he would ‘do whatever I have to do' as President to restore law and order. Mr. Obasanjo, who was described by Mr. Jeter as "clearly agitated and angered" condemned the militants as "criminals." He however explained to the American Ambassador that the violence in the Delta was not politically motivated but that "oil bunkering was at the heart of the matter."

The President also told Mr. Jeter that the then Governor of Delta State had promised to apprehend those responsible for killing the soldiers. If Ibori did not produce the suspects, Mr. Obasanjo stated, "then we will go in and find them." Calls to former President Olusegun Obasanjo's telephone were unanswered. However, his media assistant, Adeoba Ojekunle listened to the questions and requested that we call him back in an hour to enable him confer with the former President.

Those behind the militants

In his cable to the White House, Mr. Jeter stated that there were speculations about the people sponsoring the violence, as it "was too organised and strong to have been entirely the work of local authors." "Some people point the finger at Delta Governor (James) Ibori. Many others see even more distant and powerful hands, including former head of State, (Ibrahim) Babangida," Mr. Jeter stated.