MECHANISMS OF STATE REPRESSION UTILIZED BY NIGERIAN STATE DURING OGONI CIVIL RESISTANCE MOVEMENT IN RIVERS STATE

The study examined the mechanism of repression adopted by Nigerian state against Ogoni civil resistance movement in Rivers State and how state repression of nonviolent resistance give rise to collective grief and resentment among succeeding generations in Ogoni land. The research design adopted was cross sectional survey research design. A sample size of 400 was determined through the Taro Yamane statistical formula. The sampling technique adopted for this study was purposive sampling technique. The study used the questionnaire and interview instruments as primary methods of data collection. Data was analysed using mean. The results revealed that some of the repression mechanism adopted by Nigerian state during the Ogoni crisis are; deployment of military forces into Ogoni communities to suppress MOSOP-led protests through raids, house burnings and intimidation of civilians (mean = 3.39 > 2.5), extrajudicial killings and summary executions of Ogoni activists and villagers by state security forces (mean = 3.42 > 2.5),, Arbitrary arrests, prolonged detention without trial and the use of special tribunals (mean = 3.40 > 2.5),,, restriction of press freedom and information flows during the crisis (mean = 3.44 > 2.5),, and collaboration between federal military authorities, security agencies and pro-government local elites or paramilitary groups (mean = 3.33 > 2.5). The results also revealed that some of the ways state repression of nonviolent resistance give rise to collective grief and resentment among succeeding generations in Ogoni land are awareness of repression activities (mean = 3.39> 2.5), Intergenerational transmission of grief (mean = 3.42 > 2.5), resentment toward the state (mean = 3.40 > 2.5), negative impact on civic trust (mean = 3.44 > 2.5) and Martyrdom and identity (mean = 3.42 > 2.5). It was concluded that Nigerian State adopted severe repression mechanism against Ogoni people during the nonviolent civils resistance leading to intergenerational transmission of grief among Ogoni people