On May 30th, the day after Mr Obasanjo was sworn in as president, militant Ijaw youths in the delta attacked Itsekiri villages just across the water from a large Chevron oil plant.

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When Jonathan became vice president in 2007, MEND said its operations helped him gain national prominence, which propelled the neglected Niger Delta region and its largest ethnic group, the Ijaw, into the spotlight.

FORBES: The Ongoing Niger Delta Militant Threat