A coalition of nine renegade militant groups from the nine states of the Niger Delta region on Monday declared support for the ongoing protest against police brutality and poor condition of living in the country, saying they are ready to resume hostilities and engage the military if the demands of the protesters are not met by the federal government.
The militant groups under the aegis of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) also announced that they are ready to withdraw from the ceasefire pact with the federal government, engage the troops attached to the proposed operation crocodile smile and resume attacks on some identified oil facilities in the region if issues of poor welfare, armed oppression and inequality in the standard of living between the citizens and political elites are not addressed.
The RNDA, in a statement issued via electronic mail and made available to journalists, argued that the decision by the militant groups to support the protesting youths was based on the open inequality in the distribution of wealth and development in the country.
“We, the agitating militant groups in the creeks are lending our voice to the demands of our great resilience Nigerian youths based on the fact that Nigeria is a blessed nation full of abundance of so much untapped natural resources, wherefore we demand for a better Nigeria that the welfare of the citizens should be serious taken into account,” the group said.
The group, in the communique issued after an emergency meeting held in Delta state and presided over by its leader of the RNDA, John mark Ezon Ebi also known along the creeks of the region as OBAMA, stated that every region and its citizenry first of all got 10 per cent in every revenue derived to the country sourced either from oil and other sources just to cater for the welfare of the citizens of this country before the revenue will be shared to the three tires of government by the Central government.
“While the oil producing communities will get five per cent front line charge from the oil revenue and will be directly paid to the host communities and not to the governors of the Niger Delta states.”
The militant groups also pointed out that though they are engaged in correspondence with the federal government over the contentious issues raised by the nationwide protest march by agitated youths, the said ”we want to put it on record that President Muhammadu Buhari is not to blame entirely for what is happening, but we blame some ministers handling sensitive areas of the economy and the National Assembly members.
“While the citizens are making sacrifices in the areas of adjusting to harsh economic policies of government, the aides of President Buhari and members of the National Assembly are living large in opulence. Even the members of the RNDA made sacrifices to agree to a ceasefire in 2016 in order to allow the President Muhammadu Buhari led APC federal government to consolidate on its renewed policy of trust for his anti- corruption fight and economic growth job creation and transformational policies of massive infrastructural developmental strides within the Niger Delta region and the country at large. But the National Assembly members and the political class are pushing the people to the wall and we are ready to fight back.”
The group warned that the RNDA leadership has directed its striking force unit commanders in all the nine militant groups to be on standby and maintain visibility on identified locations with study and locations striking methods, ”we may resume bombing and heavy destruction of major crude oil pipelines and their platforms including the major gas distribution pipelines from Escravos linking to Warri-Kaduna and Lagos.
“Also targeted are major pipelines including the Chevron Valve platform located at Abiteye under Warri-South local government area of Delta state and this is one of Chevron major platform most significant platform and it serves as a connecting point where all other Chevron Niger Delta platforms link up, and shell underwater Forcardos 48-inch Export pipeline wish connect from clough creek through river Ramos creek delivery line to the Forcardos terminal wish is a major and one of the Nigeria highest crude delivery pipeline will be brought down, the major Escravos trans Lagos pipeline linking Warri to Lagos.”
“Also listed are major gas pipeline that supplies both Lagos and Abuja with constant electricity supply will be cut off, and other several gas and oil pipelines belonging to the NNPC located near Warri within the hinter land will also be blown up, the major chevron main electricity feedback pipelines located at the Escravos tank farm at Ciera creek will not be left out in this well-coordinated attack the major one of the highest crude oil producing wells owned by chevron which are RMP23 and RMP24 all located near Dibi in Delta state and it contribute majorly to the daily crude oil production chain of the country will all be blown up and cut to zero level and the Bunny Nembe creek trunk pipeline that located at Bonny Export terminal line will not be left out”.
