Swamp_full_of_dollars.qxd 4/15/10 2:19 PM Page 1 CURRENT EVENTS / AFRICAN STUDIES $24.95 (CAN $27.95) (CONTINUED FROM FRONT FLAP) P A Swamp Full of Dollars—shortlisted for the Guardian “A compelling and well-written account. In this long-awaited book, E “A compelling journey through the oil- E First Book Award—shows that if the Arab world is the Peel has told the history of Nigeria and oil in a way that makes this L filled chaos of present-day Nigeria.” important subject accessible to all.In doing so,he has done a service —Louis Theroux precarious eastern battle line in an intensifying world to everyone who is interested in development and in Africa.” war for crude, then Nigeria has become the tumultuous —Joseph E.Stiglitz,Nobel Laureate,Economics T A western front. he largest U.S. trading partner in sub-Saharan “A fascinating insight into Africa’s wild west.” S Africa, petroleum-rich Nigeria exports half its daily —Giles Foden,author of The Last King of Scotland W oil production to the United States. Like many African A “[An] illuminating investigation.”—The Guardian nations with natural resources coveted by the world's M superpowers, the country has been shaped by foreign “With journalistic relish,Michael Peel ...sinks his teeth into a big, P fat story.”—The Times investment and intervention, conflicts among hundreds of F ethnic and religious groups, and greed. Polio has boomed “Peel delivers a gory account of the sepulchral landscape with enor- U along with petroleum, small villages face off with giant oil mous sympathy for the people who live there,and has nothing but L companies, and scooter drivers run their own ministates. contempt for the authorities who have brought the Niger Delta to L this pass.”—The Independent Blending vivid reportage, history, and investigative O The former West Africa correspondent for the Financial Times, journalism, in A Swamp Full of Dollarsjournalist Michael F “An excellent book.”—African Business Michael Peelis now the publication’s legal correspondent. Peel tells the story of this extraordinary country, which D He has contributed articles on the region to a wide variety “To paraphrase the author,if Nigeria is part of our insurance against grows ever more wild and lawless by the day as its refined O the instability in the Middle East, God help us all. And, as Peel’s of publications, including the New Republic, the Christian L petroleum pumps through our cities. Through a host of book makes clear,if there is any justice,God should start by helping Science Monitor, and the London Review of Books. L colorful characters—from the Area Boy gangsters of Nigeria.”—William Dobson,Financial Times A Lagos to a corrupt state governor who stashed money in R “[This] impressively detailed, well-researched . . . fascinating book his London penthouse, from the militants in their swamp S uncoversa scarcely believable reality in which we are all complicit.” forest hideouts to oil company executives—Peel makes —Tabletmagazine the connection between Western energy consumption and “Peel’s book, calm, thoughtful and considered throughout, appalls the breakdown of the Nigerian state, where the corruption and angers the reader in equal measure.”—Geographicalmagazine of the haves is matched only by the determination and ingenuity of the have-nots. What has happened to Nigeria $24.95 (CAN $27.95) Cover design: John Yates at Stealworks.com ISBN 978-1-56976-286-8 is a stark warning to the United States and other economic 52495 Cover photographs: Armed men © GEORGE ESIRI/epa/Corbis; powers as they grow increasingly frantic in their search oil refinery (background image), Andrew Holt/Photographer’s Choice RF/Getty Author photograph: Charlie Bibby for new oil sources: unbridled plunder eventually rebounds on those who have done the taking. Printed in the United States of America 9 781569 762868 (CONTINUED ON BACK FLAP) Half_title_page_Layout 1 4/16/10 1:54 PM Page 1 A S W A M P F U L L O F D O L L A R S vi A SWAMP FULL OF DOLLARS Title_page.qxd 11/17/09 10:01 AM Page 1 A S W A M P F U L L O F D O L L A R S PIPELINES AND PARAMILITARIES AT NIGERIA’S OIL FRONTIER M I C H A E L P E E L This edition published 2010 by Lawrence Hill Books First published by I.B. Tauris & Co Ltd in the United Kingdom © 2009 by Michael Peel All rights reserved Published by Lawrence Hill Books An imprint of Chicago Review Press, Incorporated 814 North Franklin Street Chicago, Illinois 60610 ISBN 978-1-56976-286-8 Printed in the United States of America 5 4 3 2 1 Swamp_cp_FINAL.indd 1 4/9/10 9:09 AM PROLOGUE: TRIGGER POINT v To my family and in particular my parents, Mary and Robin Peel vi A SWAMP FULL OF DOLLARS PROLOGUE: TRIGGER POINT vii CONTENTS Maps ix Prologue: Trigger Point xiii PART ONE THE HUNDRED YEARS OIL WAR 1 Stark Illiterates and Junkies 3 2 Where Duty and Glory Lead 23 3 More Popular than Churchill 47 PART TWO LIVING AT THE OIL FRONTLINE 4 The Boys from the Bookshop 67 5 Fuel the Bike, Fuel the Rider 89 6 The Discerning Gentlemen 105 PART THREE THE NEW GULF CONFLICT 7 Fish, but not Fishing 137 8 Things Are Looking Up 157 9 Not Hostages but Journalists 179 Epilogue: The Hope of the World 201 Notes and Select Bibliography 207 Acknowledgements 209 Index 211 viii A SWAMP FULL OF DOLLARS PROLOGUE: TRIGGER POINT ix ATLANTIC OCEAN MOROCCO TUNISIA MEDITERRANEANSEA ALGERIA LIBYA WESTERN SAHARA EGYPT RED MAURITANIA MALI NIGER SEA ERITREA SENEGAL CHAD TGHUEIN GEAAM-BBIISASAU BURKINA SUDAN DJIBOUTIGulfofAden SIERRA LEOGNUIENLEIBAERIA C IVOGOAuRSlYfT of G GHuAiNnAeTOaGOBENIN NIGEERQI.ACAMEROON CREENPUTRBALILC AFRICAN UGANDA ETHIOPIA SOMALIA &S ÃPOR ITNOCMIPÉÉ GUINEGAABON CONGO DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC BRUWRAUNNDDAI KENYA INDIAN OF CONGO TANZANIA OCEAN ANGOLA COMOROS ATOLCAENATNIC NAMIBIA BOTSWZAANMABZIAIMBABWEMMOAZALMABIWQUIE MozambiqueMADAGCAShCAaRnnel SWAZILAND SOUTH AFRICA LESOTHO 0 750 kilometres 0 500 miles