Even amid international efforts to bring greater transparency to the continent's resource exploration, the recent strife [in Nigeria] is a microcosm of widespread theft and mismanagement, which observers attribute to a combination of colonial-era intervention, corrupt governments, and cynical behavior by Western policymakers and multinationals...[Nigerian militia leader Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari] condemned the behavior of foreign oil companies and the Nigerian government and said he would not be responsible for the safety of foreigners in the delta. [refers to Shell, ChevronTexaco, Halliburton]