▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁economic ▁development , ▁e . g . ▁schools , ▁good ▁roads , ▁and ▁hosp it als , ▁in ▁the ▁region , ▁despite ▁all ▁the ▁oil ▁wealth ▁created . ▁They ▁also ▁compla ined ▁about ▁environmental ▁poll ution ▁and ▁destruction ▁of ▁their ▁land ▁and ▁rivers ▁by ▁foreign ▁oil ▁companies . ▁Ken ▁Sar o ▁Wi wa ▁and ▁nine ▁other ▁oil ▁activ ists ▁from ▁Mov ement ▁for ▁the ▁Sur v ival ▁of ▁the ▁Og oni ▁People ▁( M OS OP ) ▁were ▁arrest ▁and ▁killed ▁under ▁San i ▁Ab ach a ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁Although ▁protest s ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁as ▁strong ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁under ▁Sar o - W i wa , ▁there ▁is ▁still ▁an ▁oil ▁reform ▁movement ▁based ▁on ▁peace ful ▁protest s ▁today ▁as ▁the ▁Og oni ▁struggle ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁modern - day ▁eye ▁op ener ▁to ▁the ▁Pe op les ▁of ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁Rec ent ▁armed ▁conflict ▁ ▁Unfortunately , ▁the ▁struggle ▁got ▁out ▁of ▁control , ▁and ▁the ▁present ▁phase ▁has ▁become ▁milit ant . ▁When ▁long - h eld ▁concerns ▁about ▁loss ▁of ▁control ▁over ▁resources ▁to ▁the ▁oil ▁companies ▁were ▁vo iced ▁by ▁the ▁I j aw ▁people ▁in ▁the ▁K ai ama ▁Dec laration ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁the ▁Niger ian ▁government ▁sent ▁troops ▁to ▁occup y ▁the ▁Bay els a ▁and ▁D elta ▁states . ▁Sold iers ▁opened ▁fire ▁with ▁rif les , ▁machine ▁guns , ▁and ▁te ar ▁gas , ▁killing ▁at ▁least