Does anyone with more than a weekend in the Delta actually think the Nigerian military is equipped, trained, and capable of putting down an insurgency of the sort developing there? The normal response is to visit death and destruction on a village or two then leg it back to other places. That will only add fuel to the fire in my view.
Truth be known....the conventional leadership of the government, insurgents, and the oil companies have been so corrupt and intent upon stealing all they can for themselves that they may have made a real mistake and created a new set of leaders from amongst the people. If that is the case....then this is going to become a very bad situation. The new guys might just be in it for the "good" of the people and not merely for selfish reasons. If that is the case....they are a threat to all of the others.
Last time I read about the revenue sharing it was along the lines of 30% of the oil revenue based upon 13 US Dollars per barrel of oil being diverted to the local governments by the Federal Government. By the time the local leaders rip off what they can...pass the rest around to their cronies....one can see the results. Any reason why the ordinary Nigerian in the Delta feels left out?
Shell is supposed to have given a briefing to the Ogunu residents that suggests there is no threat to the camp or its residents....and that they know ahead of time what is going on. Since they have not stopped any attacks such as the one at Benisede or the Willbros Barge....I somehow think they are selling a pack of porkies.
Its real folks....the natives are getting restless.