human rights

Nigerian Military Attack Poor Neighborhood

Brian — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:06:44 +0000

Residents of Aker Camp, a slum of Port Harcourt, pick through the remains of their lives. One week ago this neighborhood was attacked and burned down by the Nigerian military after one of their soldiers was killed while trying to foil a kidnapping of an Italian expat at a local bar. This kind of brutal attack on innocent civilians by the military is a constant reminder of the lack of human rights in the Niger Delta. Residents, who are all poor, try to salvage anything they can find, but this community of 3000 was completely burned down in this military reprisal.

Fishing in Polluted Waters

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:07:34 +0000

With the Mobil Exxon Gas Plant across the water, fishermen arrive to drop their catches of bonga fish, gold fish, silver fish and crayfish. Due to pollution caused by the oil companies, the catches have decreased in quality and quantity. This has caused major problems of unemployment for the local young men. The local women haggle over the size and price of their purchases along the waterside.

This scene is in the fishing village of Finima, which is a newly relocated community caused by the rapid growth of the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas plant on Bonny Island.

Nigeria: Amnesty International says pollution has created human rights tragedy in the Niger Delta

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 01:18:11 +0000

ABUJA, Nigeria - June 30 - Amnesty International today called the situation in the Niger Delta a “human rights tragedy,” saying that the people of the Niger Delta have seen their human rights abused by oil companies that their government cannot or will not hold to account.

URL:

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/06/30-18

Publication Date:

Tuesday, June 30, 2009