Militants
from the Niger Delta region have threatened to go to war with Nigeria
as they promised to commence intensive bombing of oil pipelines in the
region.
*Photo used for illustrative purpose*
Niger Delta militants on Saturday threatened ‘war’ while
dissociating themselves from the meeting elders from the oil-rich region
had with President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, last Tuesday.
Apart from distancing themselves from the meeting, they warned the
Federal Government not to rejoice yet over the recent rise in oil
production in the country, threatening that a series of attacks await
oil facilities in the region in the days ahead.
The militants also asked the Federal Government to drop the charges
against Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, and other leaders
from the region.
The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, which is the only
militant group that has refused to key into the ceasefire with the
government, also claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s bombing of the
Trans-Forcados Crude Export pipelines near Batan community in the Warri
South-West Council Area of Delta State.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had on
Tuesday said Nigeria’s oil production had recently risen to normal after
a sharp drop earlier this year due to renewed militant attacks on oil
and gas facilities in the region.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Aldo
Agbalaja, the militant group accused President Muhammadu Buhari’s
government of plotting to wage war against the people of the Niger Delta
region.
“As a matter of fact, what the Avengers did to the oil industry
will be nothing compared to the grand plan already set by our central
command. We shall bring Nigeria’s daily output quota to below 500,000
barrels. Just be ready for the approaching tsunami.
“The multinational oil companies, we know you are recalcitrant
and will always come to test wills, we hope you will continue in this
tradition so there will always be reason to let the world know that ‘you
don’t contest the corners of a house with the owner of the house.’
“The destruction of the Trans-Forcados Pipeline is just a
warning. We warned against the restarting of the facility, but the
daring companies won’t listen. That shadow operation that brought the
TFP down was only meant to let these companies know that we aren’t
kidding with them; when we say stay down, you stay down, and it’s in
your best interest.”
The militant group described last Tuesday’s meeting between Buhari
and stakeholders, including traditional rulers from the region as a
humiliation of the people of the Niger Delta.
“The humiliation that came with the meeting of the elders with
President Muhammadu Buhari did not come to the NDGJM as a surprise. We
expected it because we know even the government knows the character and
intent of the man and most of those he led to the meeting.
“The only painful part is the fact that the humiliation is
stamped on the collective image of our people. However, we want to dare
President Buhari and his administration to attempt or fully carry out
his military action against our people and see the response that will
follow.
“We want to say here, without mincing words, that we are aware
of his intentions. We heard loud and clear his hostile message, we
understand his message and the NDGJM is saying we are ready for him. We
know he has reportedly threatened war on our people; we had been calm
enough not to respond to the threats, but at this point, we believe it
is time for us to come out to say to him ‘enough is enough.’
“If it is war, bring it on, we are no cowards, just be sure you
can sustain the consequences because this is not going to be another
vanquished ‘Biafran Uprising’. Niger Deltans are nobody’s slaves; we
shall fight until there’s nothing left to defend.”
Similarly, leaders of the Niger Delta Peoples Democratic Front,
Ultimate Warriors of Niger Delta, and other major players in the Niger
Delta Avengers, who spoke with SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday, said they were
not a party to the 16-point demand presented by their leaders to Buhari.
The leader of the NDPDF, simply identified as General Playboy,
faulted the stakeholders’ meeting with Buhari, describing it as a
platform for them (leaders) to expose their selfish interests.
He expressed surprise that the 16-point agenda submitted by the
Niger Delta stakeholders to the Federal Government did not address the
issues of Tompolo who was declared wanted by the FG.
He said, “The stakeholders are talking about negotiation. They
are talking about $10bn for Niger Delta people; they (stakeholders) are
thinking about oil blocs that will be released to Niger Delta people and
how they will share it among themselves. That is the only thing they
are thinking of.
“They have refused to talk about the fact that there is a
matter against Tompolo that should be dropped. None of the stakeholders
is thinking about others; they are only thinking of themselves. But it
will not work as far as I am concerned except President Buhari comes
down here to know the problem of the Niger Delta. That is when Nigeria
will have peace. If not, there will be no peace. We are not interested
in what the stakeholders went to do in Abuja.’’
The militant leader stated that a situation where ex-agitators
like Mujaheed Asari-Dokubo, Boyloaf and Soboma Jackrich (Egberipapa)
were not part of the stakeholders’ meeting, was an indication that
government was not ready for peace.
“Any meeting geared towards peace without protecting Tompolo’s
interest will fail. Tompolo himself cannot come out to negotiate his
freedom. As far as we are concerned, Tompolo’s case needs a political
resolution, just like that of Henry Okah and Charles Okah.
“These are forces in the region that should not be undermined.
We want the Federal Government as part of the dialogue process to get a
legal framework to free Okah and let Tompolo have peace otherwise peace
will continue to elude the region, and oil pipelines will be blown off
continuously to protest their persecution.”
Apart from persons from the region who were facing prosecution, he
also demanded the release of the Indigenous People of Biafra’s leader,
Namdi Kanu.
Similarly, a member of the Niger Delta Avengers who spoke on
condition of anonymity told SUNDAY PUNCH that peace would continue to
evade the oil-rich Niger Delta until the government stops the
persecution of Tompolo and other leaders of the region.
He said, “All the politically motivated cases against Tompolo,
Godsday Orubebe, Kingsley Kuku, Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, and Mrs.
Patience Jonathan, should be dropped by the Federal Government,
otherwise, agitation continues.”
Also, the spokesperson for the Ultimate Warriors of Niger Delta,
Sibiri Taiowoh, vowed that his group would open a new chapter to the
struggle.
He said, “We will return to the drawing board. And we know the
Federal Government will fail (to meet the demands) because they are not
sincere. We have lost faith in Buhari, so whether he will grant all the
requests or not is irrelevant to us.’’
Source: Punch
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