Pro-Government Militias
Icelanders / Niger Delta Vigilante (Nigeria)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 407 |
| Country: | Nigeria |
| Date formed: | April 19, 2003 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | Although mainly a-political, it has allegedly been created by the Rivers state governor after elections in April 2003 to fight other militant groups and the opposition. |
| Date dissolved: | Sept. 3, 2005 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | Since 2004, the group was in the process of disarmament. In 2005, the Rivers State Police Command had declared the leader of the Niger Delta Vigilante (NDV) wanted. |
| Termination Type(s): | none |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no information |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | no information | Main Creating Government Institution: | none |
| Government Link(s): | person/minister; sub-national government |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | no |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; crime |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | ethnic; religious; adolescents; party activists |
| Primary Membership: | religious |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Rivers state, Port Harcourt |
| Force Strength: | [6000, 10000] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | intimidate political opposition; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | Ijaw (Nigeria) |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | inferred |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Also known as Niger Delta Vigilante Force or Niger Delta Vigilante group |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | After local elections in 2003, the local government in Rivers set up the Icelanders to fight against the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force which was opposed to the ruling People’s Democratic Party. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The militia killed and harassed alleged political opposition. The violence against civilians led to deterioration of the security situation in Rivers state. The battles between the Niger Delta Vigilante and the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force led many local residents in Rivers state to relocate. Despite growing instability in 2003, the police and regular security forces did not intervene to prevent the escalation of violence. In 2004, the security forces began to carry out operations against the militia to improve the security situation. (Human Rights Watch 2005, 2, 18) |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | No information. |
| PGM Members Killed? | sometimes |
PGM Size
| Size: | According to different reports, the militia had 6,000 to 10,000 members. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | The militia received arms from a local chief in Okrika, in addition to arms purchased through illegal oil revenues. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | Niger Delta Vigilante is an umbrella group that also includes smaller groups such as the “Icelanders” or “Germans” (Human Rights Watch 2005, 4). These smaller groups have already existed in the 1990s and aligned with the NDV in 2003/2004 to gain more power. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.