Godwin A. Vaaseh

Conflicts and the Rise of Militia Groups in Nigeria Since 1960:: the Case of the Tiv Ethnic Group in Central Nigeria Godwin A. Vaaseh

This book analyzes the history of persistent conflicts,the ethnic militia groups that prosecute these conflicts and their mode of operation in Nigeria since independence. This is with special reference to the Tiv ethnic group in Central Nigeria. The book examines the militant groups that exist in the three geographical zones of Nigeria such as; the Oodua People's Congress(OPC), identified with the Yoruba ethnic group in the West,the Bakassi Boys, identified with the Igbo ethnic group in the East;and the Arewa People's Congress (APC),commonly identified with the Hausa/Fulani in the North. Apart from these,there exists the Sharia Police and the Boko Haram groups in the North,and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta(MEND),and other militant groups in the Niger Delta. The book discusses also the post-independent amorphous militia groups that sprang up in the political conflicts in Tivland, Central Nigeria, immediately after independence and the persistent conflicts that have engulfed the Tiv ethnic group with their neighbors. The book recommends a proactive rather than a reactive strategy, for conflicts and Militia problems in Nigeria using the Tiv experience.