▁in cess ant ▁attacks ▁and ▁loss ▁of ▁lives ▁and ▁properties ▁on ▁the ▁Et che ▁land ▁and ▁en vir ons . ▁Kid n apping , ▁armed ▁rob ber y , ▁ra pe ▁and ▁f ights ▁for ▁territorial ▁control ▁have ▁become ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁with ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁attention ▁from ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁federal ▁govern ments ▁in ▁Niger ia . ▁Et che ▁eth nic ▁national ity ▁also ▁has ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁political ▁activ ism . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁Um ue chem , ▁Et che ▁to ▁demand ▁social ▁amen ities ▁and ▁compens ation ▁for ▁oil ▁poll ution . ▁State ▁security ▁agents ▁react ed ▁with ▁te arg as ▁and ▁gun fire . ▁ 5 0 ▁people ▁died ▁and ▁about ▁ 5 5 0 ▁houses ▁were ▁destroyed . ▁The ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁national ▁elections ▁were ▁marked ▁by ▁serious ▁violence ▁and ▁int im id ation ▁in ▁the ▁Et che ▁L GA , ▁seriously ▁comprom ising ▁the ▁free ▁vot ers ▁process . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁report , ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Watch ▁said ▁that ▁" in ▁recent ▁years ▁Et che ▁has ▁earned ▁a ▁degree ▁of ▁unw el come ▁not or iety ▁due ▁to ▁alleg ations ▁of ▁cor ruption , ▁th ugg ery ▁and ▁murder ▁le ve led ▁against ▁polit icians ▁and ▁public ▁office ▁hold ers ▁from ▁the ▁area ." ▁ ▁The ▁report ▁stated ▁that ▁health ▁and ▁education ▁facilities ▁were ▁in ▁an ▁advanced ▁state ▁of ▁physical ▁decay , ▁with ▁funds ▁allocated ▁for