The Chikoko Movement, also known as the Pan-Niger Delta Resistance Movement was founded in August 1997 (Essential 20 Oct. 1999; HRW 1999). It is led by Oronto Douglas who is described as a "lawyer and environmental rights activist" (Tempo 1 Dec. 1999). The Chikoko Movement is reportedly "a coalition of Niger Delta youths organisations including the Ijaw Youth Council and the famous Egbesu cultural group" (ibid., 13 Oct. 1999). The Niger Delta comprises Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, Edo, Cross Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States (Essential 27 Jan. 1999). Port Harcourt is the capital city of Rivers State. Among the numerous ethnic groups in the Niger Delta are the Ogonis, Ijaws, Ikwerres, Itsekiri and Urhobos, Andonis and Ilajes, which also belong to the Chikoko Movement ((HRW 1999; Vanguard 19 June 1999; P.M. News 30 Nov. 1998)

According to Human Rights Watch,

The Chikoko Movement aims to unite different ethnic groups, rather than representing one in particular. It describes itself as "a representative mass organisation for the defence of the rights of the ethnic minority nationalities in the rich Niger Delta Area," standing for the "struggling unity of these ethnic minority nationalities against our common oppressors," including the "Nigerian State," "the ruling Nigerian elites in and out of uniform," and "their Trans-national Oil corporation collaborators." The Chikoko Movement calls for "the right to self-determination of the constituent ethnic nationalities of Nigeria to be recognised and enshrined in a new democratic Nigerian constitution," and "an immediate end to all environmentally damaging economic activities by Trans-national oil corporations in the Niger Delta Area," as well as the "abrogation of all obnoxious laws like the Land Use Decree and the Petroleum Decree that rob our people of the right to control our land and mineral resources for sustainable development of our area.

Human Rights Watch further reports that,

in July 1997, at the launch of the Chikoko movement, five journalists from the Nigerian press were arrested at Ogbia town and questioned for several hours (Joseph Ollor-Obari of the Guardian, Doifie Ola of the Post Express, Wisdom Dike of The Week, Casmir Igbokwe of Tempo/PM News, and Tokunbo Awosakin of This Day). The rally was relocated to Aleibiri as a result of the security crackdown (ibid).

For information on the treatment of Ijaws and Urhobos, members of the Chikoko Movement, please consult NGA34058 of 17 April 2000 and the May 1999 Human Rights Watch report, Nigeria: Crackdown in the Niger Delta, available at Regional Documentation Centres.

No reports as to whether the organisation issues membership cards could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please see the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Essential Organisation. 27 January 1999. "Press Statement of the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Conference (NDENC)." http://www.infoshop.org/news4/jl8_nigeria2.html

_____. 2 October 1999. "Egbesu is an Instrument of Discipline, Says Niger Delta Historian." http://lists.essential.org/shell-nigeria-action/msg00513.html.[Accessed: 18 Apr. 2000)

Human Rights Watch. 1999. "Protest and Repression in the Niger Delta." http://www.org/reports/1999/nigeria/Nigew991-08.htm [Accessed: 18 Apr. 2000]

_____. 1999. "Nigeria: Human Rights Developments." http://hrw.org/wr2k/Africa-07.htm[Accessed: 17 Apr. 2000)

P.M. News [Lagos]. 30 November 1999. "Iyobosa Uwugiaren. Itsekiri Give Oil Companies Quit Notice." (NEXIS/Africa News)

Tempo [Lagos]. 1 December 1999. Iyobosa Uwugiaren. "Niger Delta Solution." (NEXIS/Africa News)

_____. 13 October 1999. "What the Niger Delta People Want." (NEXIS/Africa News)

Vanguard [Port Harcourt]. 19 June 1999. Chris Ikwunze. "Exiled Saro-Wiwa's Brother Owens Returns, Vows to Continue Struggle." http://www.infoshop.org/new4/jl8.htm. [Accessed: 18 Apr. 1999]

Africa Research Bulletin. 1998.

Amnesty International Report 1998 1999.

Country Reports for 1998 1999.

Keesing's Record of World Events. October 1998.

Resource Centre. Country File. Nigeria.

West Africa. October -December 1998.