A militant group in the Niger Delta, Adaka Boro Avengers, ABA, has vowed to effect its earlier threat to declare a republic in the Niger Delta on October 1, adding that it would fight alongside pro-Biafra groups to actualize its ambition.
This was as another militant group, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, announced that it will commence fresh attacks on oil facilities on September 31. It stated that its grievance is based on the insincerity of government, adding that the consolatory statement of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has yielded no tangible results.
NDRC noted that the agitators had resolved and were more determined to use all necessary means “to take back our heritage by stopping all oil and gas exploration and exportation in Niger Delta come September 31, 2017. And when that time comes, heaven will not fall.
Boasting that it has “more arsenals” and is more powerful than the Nigerian government, ABA, in a statement by its spokesperson, Edmos Ayayeibo, demanded all northerners and westerners to leave the Niger Delta region.
The group, which declared that there was no going back as the Nigerian state had ‘lost its unity’, warned the Edwin Clark-led Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, to stay away from all matters concerning the Niger Delta.
“The October 1 declaration of a republic in the Niger Delta is sacrosanct because Nigeria has lost its unity. To save lives on both sides, the Nigerian government should maintain peace, compose themselves or face total war.
“Why would the Arewa youths and some northerners called for re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu knowing what the implications would be. That is not possible and the Nigerian government will never dare it again.
“We the Avengers have always carried out our words. When we said we would crumble the economy, we did it. And now we are asking all northerners and westerners to leave the Niger Delta region for their own good. This is not 2016 and now we have more arsenals, more powerful than the Nigerian government.
“We are also using this medium to call on all the multinational corporations to leave the region in their own interests and peace; because their continued stay in the region has not done any good to the people of the Niger Delta. Also to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), kindly withdraw your oil survey teams and your technical workers from our communities, while the tension in the region is boiling up.
“Failure to adhere to these warnings, we shall leave no stone unturned. Because all Avengers groups in the region are united now and our new focus is on any multinational corporations and any NNPC infrastructures, especially the pipelines and NNPC filling stations across the country.
“The Federal Government does not recognise you people; and we will no longer listen to you. We thank you for your efforts, especially to Papa E. K. Clark, King Alfred Diete-Spiff and Victor Attah.
“This is because we have seen Nigeria as a failed state. We, Niger Deltans respect you people; save your energy; we will need you people in our country. To the Federal Government of Nigeria don’t try to fight us, because it is totally a missile and chemical war. We have joined hands with Biafra and other foreigners.”
Meanwhile, a statement by the NDRC spokesperson, Izon Ebi, reads, “Our grievance is borne out of the insincerity of Nigeria’s past and current leaders who after using our wealth and resources to build both Lagos and Abuja and even stealing for themselves and their unborn children, decided to bequeath a degraded environment to us and our children.
“We have resolved that resource control, fiscal federalism and devolution of powers are the only panacea. Anything short of that will not be acceptable to NDRC and the 21st century agitators of the Niger Delta.
“Our elders and distinguished personalities of PANDEF have tried in their advocacy. We realize that the balancing act of being elder statesmen and resource control advocates can be a very touchy act. That is why our goal is in consonance with the vision of Niger Delta’s emerging youth leaders in the clamour for resource control.
“The Nigerian nation should be grateful to PANDEF and most especially the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was so sincere in trying to do things in line with the best global practices of this 21st century, but the Nigerian elite and state, who feed fat on the resources of the Niger Delta do not care about the plight of the Niger Delta people.”