Niger Delta conflicts linked to transatlantic slave trade by University of Uyo professor

Ubong Essien Umoh, a professor of military history at the University of Uyo, delivered the 131st Inaugural Lecture, tracing the origins of small wars and the proliferation of small arms in the Niger Delta to the transatlantic slave trade. Umoh, who is also the Commissioner for Education in the state, stated that protracted conflicts in the region are rooted in historical patterns, with current struggles being a "replay of past struggles shaped more by continuity than change." He noted that early confrontations involved rivalries among indigenous trading houses and resistance against European expansion, particularly under the Royal Niger Company, leading to expeditions, raids, and insurgencies in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The professor highlighted that despite economic shifts from slave trade to palm produce and then oil and gas, underlying grievances like perceived exploitation, marginalization, and resource control have persisted. These issues now manifest as militancy, insurgency, and organized criminal networks. Umoh also discussed the evolution of military responses, from colonial gunboat diplomacy to modern counterinsurgency operations, arguing that strategies like targeting leadership or using overwhelming force have not ended the violence. He concluded that the Niger Delta exemplifies how unresolved structural issues perpetuate cycles of unrest across generations, emphasizing that "history does not end but continually re-emerges, with the present serving as a