In 1956 oil was discovered in the Niger Delta and the first wellhead was tapped two years later. Since then over $400 billion of wealth has been pumped out of the region, while almost nothing has been pumped back into to the local communities. The severe economic conditions in the Delta stand in sharp contrast to the enormous profits the area generates. Environmental devastation, ill health and decreased agricultural productivity are the rewards the people of the Delta reap from their oil reserves. Their lives are an absolute paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty. Frustrated expectations, widespread indignation and unprecedented restiveness have contributed to heightened tensions between the local communities and oil companies on the one hand, and with the State and Federal Governments on the other. The result has been a general deterioration of both political and social cohesion. Not surprisingly, outbreaks of civil unrest are common. In the past two years I have made two trips to this region to document the daily of the people, the effects of the oil industry and the deplorable conditions in which they live.