A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NIGER DELTA MILITANT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 07 LAGOS 000605 SIPDIS SIPDIS NOFORN STATE PASS DOE FOR DAS JBRODMAN AND CGAY COMMERCE FOR KBURRESS STATE FOR S/CT MTHOMPSON AND JWEBSTER STATE FOR DS/IP/AF, AF/EX, DS/IP/OPO, DS/ICI/PII, DS/DSS/ITA, CA/EX E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2031 TAGS: PGOV EPAT PREL PTER CASC NI SUBJECT: A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A NIGER DELTA MILITANT Classified By: Consul General Brian Browne for reasons 1.4 (b),(d),an d (e). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (S/NF) On the morning of 11 April 2006, Lagos Acting Consul Howe, Lagos Econoff Marcinek, and Abuja Poloff Judah embarked on tour of the creeks around Warri Southwest Delta State. The tour was guided by the Federated Niger Delta Ijaw Communities (FNDIC),members who have a close and overlapping relationship with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) operatives and sympathizers. In addition to seeing the low economic development in the area, Conoffs witnessed a limited but impressive display of the firepower and speed boats at the militant's disposal and interacted with FNDIC/MEND leadership, including a meeting with FNDIC/MEND leader Government Ekpemupolo, AKA Ikpompolo AKA Tom Polo. Conoffs were permitted to videotape most of what they were shown, including the speed boat/gun display on the river as well as a brief glimpse of Ekpemupolo. End Summary. -------------- Club MEND -------------- ¶2. (S/NF) Starting from Miller Creek in Warri, Conoffs were led through the network of creeks by MEND/FNDIC operatives. By 0650 Conoffs were in the boat and on their way to the creeks. The boat headed directly to Camp Five, the tour's first stop. ¶3. (S/NF) Camp Five: ¶A. During the January ) March 2006 crises MEND/FNDIC housed both sets of hostages at Camp Five . After disembarking the boat, the group was "blessed" based on traditional Ijaw rites. The rites involved sprinkling of creek water on the person and some spinning/jumping. With the exception of an unloaded assault rifle, there were no weapons or ammunition boxes visible in the camp. Between thirty and forty people, all young males, were present at the camp. Buildings were in relatively decent condition given the surroundings. Conoffs were told that the camp's generator had broken so until the replacement part could be brought from Warri there was no electricity at the camp. A series of white flags hung at the shore of the camp, which Conoffs were told was a religious symbol for their god. Please see below for details about Camp Five. ¶B. Camp Five was located at 05-34.29.64n 005-21-58.10e in the vicinity of Setorun on Chanomi Creek in Delta State. The area was once cleared by the construction company Julius Berger, but was never developed. The militants living at Camp Five stated that they constructed its eight buildings. The eight buildings were made of cinder blocks and/or cement with walls approximately 12 inches thick. All of the buildings used the same blue aluminum or tin roofs. The two buildings on the most northwestern side of the camp were the two most used buildings in the camp and both had windows and glass doors. There was a large generator behind the largest building. FNDIC leader Government Ekpemupolo spent most of his time in the smaller of the two buildings. The smaller building had two antennas attached to long bamboo poles in front of the building. One antenna was to increase GSM cell phone reception and the other was used to receive a television signal. Two television antennas were also attached to long bamboo poles in front of the larger building where the hostages were kept. The buildings were approximately five meters apart. At any given time there was approximately 30-40 militants in the camp. They were not prepared for an attack and spent most of the day in boxer shorts and flip-flops. Only the militants on guard duty LAGOS 00000605 002 OF 007 carried weapons. ¶C. The two larger buildings on the southwestern side of the camp were not completely finished, but were being used. They did not have all of the windows and doors installed. The remaining four buildings in the camp were being used in the same manner. The smallest building closest to the jetty served as a security post and housed one guard using a medium machine gun on bi-pods with three magazines taped together instead of a bandoleer or ammo can. A sentry was also posted under the tree next to the jetty. The sentry carried an assault rifle with one magazine. The t-shaped dock was made of concrete and was approximately five meters long and one meter wide. The 20-foot red shipping container next to the jetty contained bags of cement and small construction tools. ¶D. The vegetation in the camp was low cut grass. The ground was sandy, but firm. Around the camp were palm trees, a variety of shrubs and thick grass resembling small bamboo shoots. To the west of the camp there was a large open area approximately 300 meters by 100 meters. There were no wires in the vicinity of the camp, but there were small cement foundations in the courtyard type area between the buildings. Foot movement across land within 500 meters of the camp would be fast and if approaching from the northwest, would be generally concealed to within 25-50 meters of the camp. ¶E. Separately, the militants claimed to have five other camps. Camp Two was on the Warri River closer to Warri. Camp Six was just being started and was in the vicinity of Jones Creek flow station in a small creek that ran north/south between the Jones and Escravos rivers. The other camp locations were unknown. -------------- Meeting the militants -------------- ¶4. (S/NF) Introductions: Conoffs were led to a circle of white lawn chairs, where they sat down with their boat guides and were introduced to Ekpemupolo. Ekpemupolo spoke little during this interaction but was clearly recognized as the senior leader. Camp Five's American guests were first presented with some kola nuts and local gin as a traditional gesture of hospitality in that region. Ekpemupolo performed a libation before drinking as an offering to the Ijaw deity Egbusu. The tour guides handled most of the conversation for the militants during this conversation at Camp Five. They expressed their appreciation for having the Americans visit and promised to show the officers evidence of suffering and environmental damage suffered by the Ijaw people as a result of oil production. Ekpemupolo developed a travel plan and the group then proceeded to several Ijaw villages in the area. -------------- A Day in the Life of a Niger Delta Militant -------------- ¶5. (S/NF) The first stop was Okerenkoko, where Conoffs were shown the pitiful state of underdevelopment: no electricity, no clean water, no school or hospital, etc. Conoffs were encouraged to videotape the scene. Conoffs inquired about the alleged damage to the village from the Nigerian military's helicopter attacks, but were informed that the damage had been repaired. The answer was not very credible. The village had left its school building had been unfinished for several years yet the villagers scrambled to repair damage from a GON attack only two months ago. George Ekpemupolo's house was one of the best in the entire village, though was still fairly small and run-down. The house, which the guides claimed to be Government Ekpemupolo,s, was smaller and no different than the average residence in the village. After Okerenkoko, the boat proceeded on to Jones Creek and the village of Makaraba, then Benikrukru and Pepe. LAGOS 00000605 003 OF 007 During these brief stops guides highlighted the irony of expensive oil industry investment standing across the creek from the underdeveloped Ijaw settlements. ¶6. (S/NF) Oporoza: around noon Conoffs were taken to Oporoza, the traditional capital of the Warri southwest area. Ekpemupolo was already at this village but did not interact directly with Conoffs group during the now standard tour of the dilapidated school, stagnant water hole and general poverty. Conoffs were able to briefly record Ekpemupolo's face while ostensibly videotaping the library. Which private American donations are funding. After the tour the officers were brought to a meeting hall where the chief of the village briefly addressed his guests via a translator. Conoffs were then shown a building, which had allegedly been damaged in a helicopter attack from the Operation Restore Hope, Joint Task Force (JTF). There were numerous bullet holes in the house but, no conclusive proof that the Nigerian Military was the culprit. ¶7. (U) The chief presented Conoffs with a list of grievances from his community. Full text of the letter is provided septel. ¶8. (S/NF) Lunch: the next stop was Kurutie, the community over which Chief Thomas Ekpemupolo presided. Chief Thomas' residence was grand by the local standards, but not what one would expect for a large-scale oil bunkerer. Chief Thomas claimed not to speak English and briefly addressed his American guests through a translator. Chief Thomas was the most reserved interlocutor Conoffs encountered over the course of the day. Lunch was served only to the guests who had arrived on the boat (American and Ijaw) as the others sat and watched. Conoffs were told that it had been a great sacrifice to prepare such a lavish (fish and bread) meal for the guests and usually it was a struggle for Ijaw villages to scrape together enough to eat. Chief Thomas did manage to break his curtness by insisting to give officers his business card. His company was a general contractor service company named Tompolo (nig.) Limited. The head office was listed as being in Egwa town, Gbaramatu clan, Delta State with the phone numbers: 2348023579097, 2348023067495, and ¶23453250912. The branch office was listed as no. 82 airport road, opposite old airport, Effurun, Delta State. ¶9. (U) The town secretary also provided Conoffs with a letter addressing all of their concerns. Full text is provided septel. -------------- Militant Fire Power -------------- ¶10. (S/NF) Show of force: ¶A. After lunch, the boat returned to Camp Five where three fully manned and armed speed boats were waiting to give a show of force. Conoffs were permitted to videotape these boats as they sped by and their occupants proudly brandished their weapons. When Conoffs boat reached Camp Five these boats sped away. Upon reaching the camp, Conoffs were shown a medium machine gun used at a sentry post at the edge of the camp. The sentry permitted Conoffs to videotape the gun from a distance but became agitated when the camera lingered in an attempt to catch the serial number on the gun. ¶B. Militants claimed to have 200 boats and a variety of weapons they would use to fight the Nigerian military if necessary. During a show of force exercise, the militants used three boats with between 10 - 15 militants per boat. The boats were open bow boats approximately 15 feet in length with wooden bench seats. Each boat had dual 75 horsepower Yamaha engines and was controlled by one driver from the rear of the craft. The boats were capable of reaching speeds of LAGOS 00000605 004 OF 007 approximately 30 knots while carrying a full load of militants and their weapons. ¶C. The militants had medium machine-guns (7.62 millimeter (MM)),rocket propelled grenades (RPG),and AK-47 assault rifles. While traveling in the boats, one the three militants in the front seats carried a medium machine, one carried an AK-47 assault rifle and one carried an RPG. The machine gun and the RPG were on the outside of the seats while the AK-47 was in the center. There were two or three militants in the following two rows of seats and a second militant carrying an RPG was positioned on the opposite side of the boat from the one carrying the RPG in the front. The two on the outside of every seat carried medium machine guns while the militant in the center carried an assault rifle. The militants carried 7.62MM bandoleers and also used three magazines fully loaded and taped together for the medium machine guns. ¶D. The militants displayed a basic level of tactical acumen by staggering the weapons used in the boats and by using security formations when traveling. During the show of force the boats traveled together over approximately 10 kilometers. After the show of force the boats transformed in a "V" formation to protect the unarmed vessel present for the show of force. ¶E. There was no evidence of any heavy machine guns. The weapons were in average condition and appeared to be generally well maintained, but old. There were .303 caliber casings seen in the vicinity of the militant camp, but no sightings of high-powered rifles. One of the medium machine guns used at a sentry post at the militant camp was produced in 1968 and contained the serial number E6771N. On the butt stock of the weapon was a painted red number "02". The weapon was possibly an Eastern European model machine gun. ¶F. Separately, MEND/FNDIC leader, Government Ekpemupolo used a circa 20 foot open bow vessel with one 200 horsepower Yamaha engine. The vessel was painted gray with a black strip down the side and was driven using a steering wheel from the center of the craft. It could travel at approximately 40 knots per hour with a small crew. None of the vessels had gun mounts and there were no tripods or traverse and elevations mechanisms seen at the camp or on the boats. -------------- Conversations with a Kidnapper -------------- ¶11. (S/NF) After the show of force, Conoffs met Ekpemupolo again. Ekpemupolo was quiet and let the tour guides do most of the talking about problems in the Delta and injustice of the federal/state Governments. After forty minutes of this rehash, Ekpemupolo led his American guests and one tour guide away from the camp for a "private chat." This was the first time Ekpemupolo became voluble and was the primary interlocutor on behalf of FNDIC/MEND. --Ekpemupolo said he planned to maintain the peace in the Niger Delta in order to give the federal Government an opportunity to live up to the promises made during the 2006 hostage crises. He was not sanguine about the GON's and President Obasanjo's ability or willingness to honor their promises to improve the Delta. Ekpemupolo said if the federal Government failed to meet their demands, however, the Ijaws were prepared to stop the flow of all oil in the Delta and would secede from Nigeria. --Ekpemupolo exaggerated there were 20 million Ijaw youths prepared to fight and the youths in his immediate charge had nearly 200 boats and enough weapons to sustain a fight with the federal Government. Ekpemupolo was confident the LAGOS 00000605 005 OF 007 Nigerian military would not fight because he believed the military feared the Ijaw youths. He said during the fighting between the Ijaw youths and the Nigerian military over the past five years the military has either fought and died or turned and run at the site of the Ijaw youths. The militants acquired many of their weapons from the Nigerian military. Ekpemupolo said in many cases the militants had taken the weapons from the Nigerian military after a firefight, but in some cases the military turned their weapons over to avoid a fight. --Ekpemupolo said Chevron-Texaco Oil Company would be allowed to continue operations for the time being because the company was taking care of the host communities and the communities were benefiting from oil production. The Ijaw militants had no fight with the Americans or the United States Government (USG),but said if it were perceived that the United States Government was assisting the Nigerian military in the fight against the Ijaw people all oil production would be stopped. The militants welcomed the USG involvement and were trying to find a way to deal directly with the USG instead of working through the GON. --The militants welcomed international involvement to monitor the situation in the region. The militants hoped the USG, the British Government and the United Nations would convince the Nigerian Federal Government and the international oil companies to stop providing the state Governments with the 13 percent derivation funds and give the money directly to the communities or have the oil companies develop the communities themselves. Ekpemupolo said Delta State Governor James Ibori, Rivers State Governor Peter Odili and former Bayelsa State Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha were using the 13 percent to enrich themselves. According to Ekpemupolo the three Governors received circa six billion Naira per month and had completed no community infrastructure projects during their time in office. --Ekpemupolo mentioned that the Nigerian military had to rely on the United States or China to fight the militants and discussed a Nigerian military request for arms from the United States. Ekpemupolo believed the United States refused to sell arms to the Nigerian military and was pleased with the outcome, but said China had made a deal with the Nigerian military to provide some sort of arms (NFI). Ekpemupolo emphasized the international community should not assist the Nigerian military and discussed the ease with which he and his militants could kill or kidnap a large number of expatriates in the Niger Delta. The militants were tired and had nothing to lose. If necessary, they would fight and die for what they believed in. (China reportedly sold Nigeria 12 J7 fighter jets at a cost of USD $251 million in September ¶2005. We do not know if this was the arms deal to which Ekpemupolo was referring, but it was the most publicized deal between China and Nigeria.) --Ekpemupolo had a good relationship with the former Operation Restore Hope JTF Commander Brigadier General Elias Zamani. He said Zamani was a good person who tried to resolve the situation in the Delta, but blamed the politics in the Nigerian Government for Zamani's redeployment. Ekpemupolo claimed to have spoken to Zamani about Zamani's removal in mid-April (NFI). Ekpemupolo said that in 2004, while Zamani was the commander of the JTF, he asked Ekpemupolo to remove the sea pirates from the Niger Delta. The militants killed circa 25 sea pirates and the JTF took credit of death of the pirates (NFI). Ekpemupolo was prepared to work with the Nigerian military to secure the oil facilities and said the military should remove most of its soldiers from the facilities and the militants would replace the soldiers to keep the area secure. Ekpemupolo said there were too many soldiers working at the oil facilities now, and they were taking employment opportunities away from the militants. LAGOS 00000605 006 OF 007 --Ekpemupolo worried the Nigerian Government was going to send security operatives into the Niger Delta to kill expatriates and blame the militants so the Nigerian military could strike with impunity. Ekpemupolo said they did not want to and had no plans to kill expatriates. --Ekpemupolo believed in education and had paid for circa 200 Ijaw youths to obtain a university degree. He claimed to have nearly 50 youth enrolled in college at his expense. According to the tour guides, Ekpemupolo also purchased the majority of the books in a newly built library in Oporoza. --Ekpemupolo claimed to be discussing with GON the release of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) leader, Dokubo Asari into his custody. It was unclear who in the Federal Government Ekpemupolo was speaking with about Asari, but Ekpemupolo wanted Asari released to him so he could control Asari. Ekpemupolo said he housed Asari during the six months leading to his arrest and that he warned Asari against speaking out against the President. Ekpemupolo did not demand the release of former Bayelsa State Governor Alamieyeseigha as previous statements from MEND had indicated. While he saw Alamieyeseigha as a partner in the fight for Ijaw empowerment, he condemned him for corruption. --Ekpemupolo said it was important that payment of USD $1.5 billion by Shell Oil Company to the people of Bayelsa State be made promptly. He said the National Assembly and the Federal High Court believed the payments were justified and that if the payments were not made problems would continue for Shell. Ekpemupolo claimed to have spoken to the Managing Director of Shell during the second week of April 2006. If the payment were made, Ekpemupolo said he would allow the oil workers to go back to work in the attacked areas. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶12. (S/NF) Conoffs were able positively identify Ekpemupolo, who told Conoffs he had not shown his face in public in over four years. Conoffs were able to see the weapons and boats owned by the militants and to see the camp in which both sets of hostages were held. During the trip FNDIC tried to assert their distance and non-involvement from the activities of other militant groups in the Delta region, including MEND. While they could and did articulate this difference, the reality is probably much more complex and ambiguous. There are likely symbiotic relationships among the various Ijaw groups. They work together and may have overlapping memberships when it suits their purpose. They are separate and distinct when it suits their purpose at other times. In other words, the community of militant Ijaw groups is in flux. The topography of today may change by tomorrow. ¶13. (S/NF) The militants were very receptive to USG presence and our monitoring the situation in the creeks. Wanting active USG pressure on the GON to address their demands, they would welcome further trips to the creeks. Ekpemupolo suggested similar trips to Bayelsa and Rivers states as well. However, we must be careful in our contact with the militants. First, we do not want to unduly raise expectations that somehow we will assume the primary role resolving the problems of the Niger Delta. That is the role and responsibility of the Nigerian Government. We also do not want to be seen as encouraging the militants. Last, this is the single most important security challenge extant for the GON. Abuja is understandably nervous about the Delta. We do not want a nervous GON misreading our intentions and actions. At bottom, our interests are the protection of U.S. citizens, U.S. companies and the flow of oil. We will calibrate our contact with the militants to safeguard these LAGOS 00000605 007 OF 007 important interests. End Comment. BROWNE