New Niger Delta Militant Group Dares Buhari,
Vows To Cripple Nigeria's Economy
The Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group
in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, has threatened
to make the country's economy worse by acts of
sabotage, particularly in the oil sector. The
threat, made via a statement issued by the
group, is a response to comments made by
President Muhammadu Buhari during his visit to
China.
The Niger Delta Avengers, a new militant group
in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, has threatened
to make the country's economy worse by acts of
sabotage, particularly in the oil sector. The
threat, made via a statement issued by the
group, is a response to comments made by
President Muhammadu Buhari during his visit to
China.
While in China, Buhari had said that oil saboteurs
will be treated harshly like Boko Haram terrorists,
a comment the group considers a denigration of
the Niger Delta struggle and an indication that
the Federal Government considers oil more
important than the lives of people of the Niger
Delta region.
"The recent proclamation of the Federal
Government to bombard the people of the Niger
Delta, as stated in Beijing, China, is a clear
indicator that President Buhari and his Northern
brothers-led government scales the oil in the
Niger Delta far more important than the lives of
the Niger Deltans," the group said.
As proof of the Niger Delta Avengers potency,
the group cited the visit of Vice President Yemi
Osinbajo and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta
State to the Forcados Terminal, where they
inspected the SPDC 48 inches export pipeline,
which it claimed to have blown up. "They never
cared to see for themselves what the natives
(Ogulagha people), the host community, are
going through in the hands of SPDC as a result
of the oil and gas exploration for decades.
Ogulagha community is just one such case
across the Niger Delta," the statement added.
The militant organisation explained that the
decision of the government to send the Minister
of the Environment and the Vice President on a
visit to the Forcados Terminal after it was blown
up shows the importance of the facility to the
economic well-being of the country.
"Bonny Export Terminal, Bonny Island in Rivers
State, Chevron and Ugborodo community in Delta
State are the heartbeat of Nigeria's economy,
but they are all facing same hardship as the
Ogulagha community, which hosts the Forcados
Terminal.
"It is a slight on our struggle and quite
embarrassing for Mr. President to liken us to his
kinsmen (Boko Haram), who are hell-bent on
swimming in innocent blood until they Islamize
the nation," added the Niger Delta Avengers.
The organisation also accused the President of
deliberately ignoring the menacing activities of
Fulani herdsmen, but paying attention to pipeline
vandalism, which he wants to use as a pretext to
punish the Niger Delta Region. This, it argued,
provides further proof that the Federal
Government values oil more than the well-being
of the people of the Niger Delta. While claiming
it takes no pleasure in violence, the group,
however, said it will continue blowing up
pipelines to protest the marginalisation of the
Niger Delta.
It dared the Presidency to do its worst, saying:
"The Presidency can go ahead and setup a
permanent security force, as stated by the Vice
President when he visited the SPDC, Forcados
Terminal. We are not deterred by such threats as
we are highly spirited and shall continue blowing
up pipelines until the Niger Delta people are no
longer marginalized by the Nigerian actors. Yes,
the military have sworn to lay down their lives to
protect Nigeria. We have on our part sworn to do
whatever is necessary to safeguard the interest
of the Niger Delta people."
The group also invited the attention of the
Federal Government and the international
community to the plight of the Niger Delta
people and alleged that other forms of pipeline
vandalism are encouraged and by officials of the
Nigerian armed forces.
"We want the general public to note that the
Nigerian Armed Forces collects three Naira per
litre of the sum accruing from the total number
of barrels loaded by any vessel in all illegal
bunkering activities referred to as 'black oil
business,' it claimed.
It followed this up with a piece of advice to the
Chinese government and the international
community that any country that lends Nigeria
money is doing so at its own risk. "There will be
no litre of crude oil to service the loan deal they
planning to do. This also goes to the
international oil companies in the country to
adhere to our warnings and advise the Federal
Government to heed our demands, especially the
development of the Niger Delta Region," the
group concluded.
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