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S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000042 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/W, AF/RSA, AND INR/AA 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/25/2030 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR KCRM SOCI NI
SUBJECT: NIGER DELTA EX-MILITANT COMMANDER PROMISES PATIENCE 
 
Classified By: Consul General Donna M. Blair for Reasons 1.4 (B,D) 
 
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SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1.  (S) Okubo Robert, the self-styled founder of the Niger 
Delta Freedom Fighters and a subordinate of ex-militant 
leader Government Ekpemupolo ("Tompolo"), told PolOff on 
January 21 that he had accepted the GON's amnesty because 
Ijaw leaders convinced him that Yar'Adua was sincere about 
developing the Niger Delta.  Robert claimed he took up arms 
because of the marginalization of his people and the lack of 
development in the region.  Although he complained that he 
and his former fighters had not seen benefits from the 
amnesty yet, he said he was willing to wait up to ten years 
to see development take place.  Robert called for a clear 
development plan, for former militant leaders to be given 
governmental responsibility, and for former militants to be 
given education abroad.  Robert, while young and passionate 
about his cause, does not come across as irrational nor 
radical.  END SUMMARY 
 
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FOUNDER OF THE NIGER DELTA FREEDOM FIGHTERS 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (S) Okubo Robert, AKA "Amakuruboteria I" (spelling 
uncertain), told PolOff on January 21 in Benin City that he 
had been the Commander of "Camp Egbema One" in Edo State and 
the founder and commander of the Niger Delta Freedom 
Fighters.  He said he commanded roughly 200 fighters.  Robert 
considered himself part of the coalition of militant groups 
that operated under the collective name of the Movement for 
the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and referred to 
Tompolo as his General Officer Commanding.  He said that, 
although he often operated independently, he could call upon 
Tompolo for reinforcements as needed and, in turn, responded 
to requests for assistance from Tompolo. 
 
------------------------- 
MILITANCY FOR DEVELOPMENT 
------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (S) Robert said he took up militancy in 2003 because he 
believed that Nigerian governments had marginalized the Ijaws 
and kept them from profiting from the riches taken from their 
native lands.  He dropped out of university, where he was 
studying accounting, to take up arms in a communal struggle 
with the Isekiri, then later joined MEND.  He cited lack of 
infrastructure, potable water, schools, and clinics in the 
riverine regions of the Niger Delta as motivation. 
 
--------------------- 
PEACE FOR DEVELOPMENT 
--------------------- 
 
¶4.  (S) Robert accepted the GON amnesty offer on September 3, 
2009, because "all our (Ijaw) leaders" urged acceptance, 
arguing that the Yar'Adua administration was sincere about 
development and that without peace there could be no 
development.  Robert recognized that violence frightened away 
foreign investors and that peace was a necessary 
pre-condition for development.  For the sake of development, 
therefore, he said he was prepared to surrender his arms and 
give peace a chance. 
 
------------ 
WE WILL WAIT 
------------ 
 
¶5.  (S) Robert claimed that, to date, he has seen no benefits 
from the amnesty.  He said he and his former fighters had not 
received the promised payment of 1,500 naira (USD 10) per day 
in either December or January.  Neither had he had seen any 
evidence of development.  While he believed that Yar'Adua 
wanted to develop the Niger Delta and end the marginalization 
of the region, he expressed doubt about whether Yar'Adua's 
followers shared his sincerity.  Nevertheless, Robert 
insisted that there would be no rapid return to violence.  He 
said, "We have been waiting 50 years for development; we are 
 
LAGOS 00000042  002 OF 002 
 
 
willing to wait another ten," adding: "Government is not a 
person but a process." 
 
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A NEW AGENDA 
------------ 
 
¶6.  (S) Robert said the GON ought to develop a transparent 
plan of action with clear milestones based on the Niger Delta 
Technical Committee Report.  He suggested that former 
militant leaders such as Tompolo and Boyloaf receive 
"portfolios" in state and federal governments, e.g. Minister 
of the Niger Delta.  He also demanded new states and more 
Local Government Areas (LGAs) to give the Ijaws more control 
of their own affairs.  In addition, he advocated electoral 
reform, including a new constitution, which would enhance 
transparency and accountability in government. 
 
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RETRAINING OVERSEAS 
------------------- 
 
¶7.  (S) With respect to GON reintegration plans, Robert said 
he and his fighters wanted to be trained abroad.  Asked why 
he did not want to be trained in Nigeria, he said that the 
quality of training was better overseas and that his former 
fighters needed first class credentials to overcome the 
inherent prejudice against them as Ijaws and ex-militants. 
He added that the elite of Nigeria send their children abroad 
for education, which reflects poorly on the quality of 
educational institutions in Nigeria and gave their children 
an unfair advantage in life. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶8.  (S) Although at times latent anger tinged Robert's voice, 
Robert was articulate, controlled, and possessed an agenda 
consistent with the demands of many non-violent activists 
from the region.  Other sources confirm that the leadership 
of his Niger Delta Freedom Fighters was relatively well 
educated, and his loyalty to Tompolo was unequivocal.  He 
denied that Tompolo was ever involved in illegal oil 
bunkering, for example, calling these allegations "slander." 
While some of his aspirations, such as educating ex-militants 
overseas, sound fanciful, he represents the 
partially-educated cadre of former militant leaders who 
demand that they be taken seriously by the GON and Nigerians 
more broadly.  END COMMENT. 
 
¶9.  (U) ConGen Lagos coordinated this telegram with Embassy 
Abuja. 
BLAIR