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By Sola Odunfa
BBC correspondent in Port Harcourt
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The Niger Delta's swamps have been plagued by violence for years
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Set in lush swamps with palm trees on every street corner, Nigeria's oil capital Port Harcourt was once known as the Garden City.
But after a spate of bloody attacks by armed militias, the army has been sent in and it has become more of a Garrison City.
Residents are living in fear and the streets of many areas are deserted by 2000 local time (1900 GMT) in case of renewed violence.
And despite the high-profile military deployment, locals are not impressed.
Many believe that politicians are partly responsible for the violence which has raged across the surrounding Rivers State in the oil-rich Niger Delta for the past two years.
Several hundred people have been killed and injured, communities dislodged and large amounts of property destroyed.
Well-stocked armoury
Two weeks ago the violence spilled into Port Harcourt leaving not less than 50 persons dead.
These bloody attacks raised the government from its apparent inertia over the murderous activities of the armed militias and the army were sent to hunt down the gunmen.
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The present warlords were agents of the state government
Sara Igbe
Former state security official
Fighting for Nigeria's oil
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State Governor Peter Odili was on holiday in South Africa when the co-ordinated attacks took place, but he returned hastily to deal with the situation.
After discussions with federal authorities, he ordered the deployment of the military, first, to halt the incursions into Port Harcourt, and then to pursue the gunmen into their hide-outs in the creeks.
The gunmen belong to two main gangs.
Each has a well-stocked armoury of military assault weapons.
They are said to have diverted from political violence and intimidation to stealing crude oil after last year's elections.
Warrants have been issued for the arrest of their leaders - Alhaji Asari Dokubo and Ateke Tom - but they still grant press interviews.
'Bandits'
The popular belief in the city is that the militias were created, funded and armed by politicians during last year's election and they must bear responsibility for the atrocities being committed.
Alhaji Asari Dokubo is wanted by the police
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A former senior official of the state government, Sara Igbe, lent credence to the allegation.
"The present warlords," he told the BBC, "were agents of the state government.
"I can recall that I was instrumental to Alhaji Asari Dokubo working with the government. I was not directly instrumental to Ateke working with the government but I played a role in identifying Ateke as a person from the state that could be given a place. At that time when I was doing that I was in charge of security."
The commissioner of police in charge of Rivers State, Mr Araba, vehemently denies the allegation.
"I am telling you quite frankly on my honour as a career police officer with integrity and honour," he said, "that there wasn't any investigation that showed that any government official, or police officer in the state or any person that was directly or indirectly involved with government machinery colluding with the armed gangs.
"These are purely gangsters and bandits; their stock-in-trade is to vandalise [crude oil] pipelines and to destroy the economic resources of the nation."
Ban omens
But whoever is behind the militias, the military build-up alarms some Port Harcourt residents, such as environmental activist and lawyer Oronto Douglas.
Many believe the gunmen were recruited to intimidate rivals in last year's elections
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"The movement from the Garden City of Port Harcourt to the Garrison City is one that not only worries me but should worry every right-thinking Nigerian," he said.
"You see, when a city moves from being Garden City to become Garrison City, when soldiers and the military police and the state security take over the ordinary governance of the society, it becomes a situation as if we are in a state or emergency. It does not augur well."
The navy is intensifying patrols in the creeks to cut the militias off from the source of their heavy finance and weapons - stealing oil.
Only if they succeed will Port Harcourt's worried residents start leading normal lives again.
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