Running to Fight Another Day: Commodification of Peace and the Resurgence of Violence in Post-amnesty Niger Delta

Peace cannot be procured like a bar of chocolate. The processes leading to peace are painstaking and must be enduring; gradually replacing the environment of rancor with an ambience amenable to peace. The 2009 amnesty deal between the Nigerian Federal Government and Niger Delta militants apparently was anchored on immediate and future financial flows from the custodians of the commonwealth (federal government) to those who sought access (militants). This article views the Niger Delta crisis as part of the overall fragility situation of the country. It argues that most of the freedom-fighting militias were driven by stomach infrastructure and not the oil-related ecological problems of the region. This is evidenced by the acceptance of a deal that fattened their pockets but neglected the environment. As many senior militants stopped fighting, the door became open for a new generation of emancipators seeking the profits made by former militia commanders. This article considers the resurgence of violence in the Niger Delta as an effect of the government's "cash for peace" deal. The article concludes that to secure real and lasting peace, the government must sincerely pursue a program that addresses all the factors at play in the Niger Delta crisis.