The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)

  • Avengers: MEND demands ceasefire, raises negotiation panel

    Avengers: MEND demands ceasefire, raises negotiation panel

    The Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Monday, told the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) that its style of breaking pipelines and bombing oil installations is a crude form of agitation and against the region’s yearnings for growth and development.

    MEND, in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Gbomo Jomo, therefore, asked the NDA to sheathe its swords and embrace the Federal Government’s proposal for dialogue.

    In the spirits of the proposed dialogue, Jomo said MEND had raised a seven-member panel for talks with the government and asked NDA to join the table of negotiation to discuss the region’s agitation.

    Jomo described members of the panel as MEND Aaron Team 2 and identified them as Henry Odein Ajumogobia SAN (Rivers); Bismark Rewane (Delta) Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa (Cross River); Timipa Jenkins Okponipere (Bayelsa); Ibanga Isine (Akwa Ibom); Ledum Mitee (Rivers) and Lawson Omokhodion (Edo State).

    Further referring to members of the team as patriotic, selfless men and women of proven track record, integrity and character; Jomo emphasised that the selected persons are not members of MEND.

    He said the group constituted the team following “useful exploratory discussions held with high ranking officials of the current administration”.

    He said MEND regretted previous attacks on oil installations in the region by its fighters because of untold hardship such actions brought to the people of the Niger Delta.

    He said: “With the benevolent benefit of hindsight, the group realised that, after the initial euphoria of each successful attack, the gargantuan problems which confront our region; including environmental pollution and political corruption, increased geometrically”.

    Addressing NDA, he said: “If indeed your cause is to avenge the injustice done to the Niger Delta region; then, we urge you to ceasefire and join us to the table of negotiation with the Federal Government; otherwise, the Niger Delta struggle shall be hijacked, once again, by selfish interests for their own personal aggrandizement.

    “One such example is the recent purported NDA demand made through the region’s governors that the Federal Government should drop charges of corruption against certain individuals and politicians from the region. This absurd and ridiculous demand, to say the least, is far removed from the Niger Delta struggle”.

    Jomo said the reason why MEND within its 10 years of existence took up arms against the government was to bring the pitiable condition of the Niger Delta to global attention  in line with Otto Von Bismarck’s famous remark that, “the great questions of the time will be decided, not by speeches and resolutions, but by iron and blood”.

    But he said MEND precisely at 00:00 hours on May 30, 2014; in response to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Democracy Day speech unilaterally declared a ceasefire of hostilities against Nigeria’s key economic and strategic interests.

    “Evidently, the ceasefire was an indication of the group’s belief that, in this present age and time, “iron and blood” might only become fashionable tools in settling questions when dialogue and diplomacy fail.

    “Our message to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) is simple: The Niger Delta struggle is beyond attacks on oil installations,” he said.

  • You must stop attacks now, Tompolo warns Avengers

    You must stop attacks now, Tompolo warns Avengers

    •Claims associates not coordinating group
    •Group appeals to NDA to embrace peace

    Wanted former militant, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) yesterday denied suggestion that his close associates are coordinating the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    Tompolo who, for the umpteenth time asked the militants to stop further attacks on oil facilities in his Gbaramatu community in Delta State and other parts of the Niger Delta, said he is sure that President Buhari is sincere about ending the crisis.

    He therefore advised them to embrace dialogue, saying “it is the only pragmatic means in resolving crisis.”

    “I believe fervently that the government is serious and willing to end this reoccurring crisis in the region. Enough is enough,” he said.

    “It is high time you stopped the bombing and destruction of crude oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. One thing you guys may not be aware of is that you have not only succeeded in militarizing the Niger Delta region now, but also succeeded in giving birth to so many negotiators and political jobbers within the government circle, who are very serious rumour peddlers in the country now.”

    This is coming as the South-South Community Association of Nigeria (SOSCAN) has appealed to the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) to embrace peace.

    According to its National Coordinator, Rev. David Vama Idabor, “We cannot afford to waste innocent lives in the region”  adding, “truly we have lost political power, but we have not lost our place in the Nigeria project.”

    Tompolo lamented that the people of Gbaramatu kingdom have not known peace since the group started the bombing of oil facilities.

    He accused the military and members of the Joint Task Force of carrying out mass murder and destruction of property and invasion of sacred parts of the communities in Gbaramatu.

    He said the people of Gbaramatu “have been harassed, intimidated, violated and invaded on daily basis by the Nigerian Military under the guise of looking for members of your group (Niger Delta Avengers) and my humble self, who they have criminally and wickedly linked to the Niger Delta Avengers.

    “Presently, all communities in Gbaramatu kingdom have been deserted by residents for fear of a repeat of the 2009 military invasion, which still leave the communities in shambles.

    “Even till now, the military has not returned the symbol of authority they took away from the Egbesu Shrine and other valuables in Oporoza community during the May 28, 2016 invasion.”

    On the allegation that his men are behind the Avengers, Tompolo said nothing could be farther from the truth.

    The South-South Community Association of Nigeria (SOSCAN)  called on the Niger Deltans to come together to discuss “our future as a nation in the federation beyond politics and oil and gas as our major strength.” It called on the NDA top ceasefire “so that we can negotiate a way forward. The Nigerian nation today needs a focus and any distraction and digression will not do us any good.

    Idabor in the statement called on all Nigerians to see beyond their tribal interests.

     

  • ACF to Avengers: Don’t invite another civil war

    ACF to Avengers: Don’t invite another civil war

    The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) Friday warned the Niger-Delta Avengers (NDA) to desist from its  ‘madness’ of breaking pipelines.

    ACF daubed the wanton sabotage of the nation’s economic progress as an invitation to another civil war which the country cannot afford.

    ACF Chairman and former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomassie in a telephone interview with The  Nation said, the several attacks carried out by the Avengers were unjustifiable, as necessary machinery to develop the region has been put in place by the Federal Government.

    He said: “There is the Ministry of Niger-Delta; they have Niger-Delta Development Company and they have amnesty intervention and money was being passed through all these agencies. So, why didn’t they develop their areas.

    “Why are they asking for more? They were in government and certain projects were diverted there, including the fund for the dredging of River Niger, what else do they want?

    “Why didn’t they do all these during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration?

    “So, I believe they are doing it deliberately. Look at Biafra too. Are they doing it to make the country difficult for this government to rule?

    “Now, that they are even refusing dialogue, do they want confrontation? There has been confrontation in this country before. Do we want a repeat? We have had one before and I believe no country can afford a civil war twice.

    “So, Niger-Delta Avengers should give peace a chance. If they want a particular thing, they should come out and mention it, then Federal Government will consider it in its own merit. So, they should stop calling for another war,” Coomassie stated.

  • U.S backs dialogue with Niger Delta militants

    U.S backs dialogue with Niger Delta militants

    United States (US) has thrown its weight behind Federal Government planned dialogue with the Niger Delta militant.

    US in a statement issued by its embassy in Abuja Tuesday encouraged all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means.

    The statement reads: “The U.S. Mission to Nigeria is monitoring reports of attacks and other incidents in the Niger Delta.  We share the concerns of all Nigerians about these attacks.  Furthermore, the United States remains supportive of efforts, including the promotion of dialogue, to address grievances in the Niger Delta.  We encourage all parties to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and emphasize that human rights of all Nigerians must be protected.

    “We continue to call on all Nigerians to persevere in efforts to achieve common goals: to end violence and curb the activities of criminal elements; to establish conditions and mechanisms for profound, positive, and lasting changes in the region; and to provide economic opportunity and needed services for residents of the Niger Delta.”

  • FG assigns NSA to lead dialogue on Niger Delta crisis

    FG assigns NSA to lead dialogue on Niger Delta crisis

    President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed his National Security Adviser, Retired Gen. Babagana Mongunu to head the team that will dialogue with the warring Niger Delta militants.

    The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu broke the news to journalists in Abuja Monday.

    According to him, he is a member of the team which also includes the nation security and service chiefs and other stakeholders to distill military intervention in the area so that dialogue can take place.

    “We are making contacts with those involved that we can identify and through them to the ones we cannot identify so that there will be inclusiveness for dialogue. Our prayer is that this works so that we resort to dialogue instead of use of force to solve problems. ….it is always difficult when arms are used against fellow citizens whether by the militants or by the government, “he said.

    He however noted that the crisis in the region has culminated in a loss of 600,000 barrel per day.

    Kachikwu said that for the government to recover the lost barrel it has to first win back the hearts of the aggressive militants.

    He added that that he has always been of the disposition that government has to engage the unhappy citizens.

    Assuring the country that government is opened to dialogue, the minister said that “unless that the government is pushed to take extreme measures, the desire of his excellency, Mr. President is to try engage and dialogue with issues.

    “The President has appointed a team led by the National Security Adviser to head the process of a very intensive dialogue…and I am sure in the ensuing one week the intensity of that dialogue will ramp up.”

    Kachikwu said that intensity of the attacks was causing a lot of problems such as pollution and affects on consistent production.

    His words: “Coming to what is happening in Nigeria in terms of security challenges in the oil industry, over the last two months we have lost about 600,000 barrel from various attacks of militants in the area.

    “We are making efforts to see how we can get those back obviously and getting the barrels back is also getting the hearts of people back. My attitude has always been that when citizens are unhappy about something we try to engage.

    “And I know given the intensity of the attacks which is causing a lot of problems, both in terms of pollution and in term of continuity  of production and sanctity of career paths of the oil industry to what has been happening, the response has been to ensure adequate security coverage in those areas and for the safety of lives and property and equality to bring tranquility back to what is ordinarily a very serene and wonderful geographical space to be in.

    “I am from the Niger Delta and my first appeal is to my brothers who engage in those protests to sheath the sword and the dagger and then get back to the table so that we can have conversation as Nigerians. …the answer to the issues is not taking up of arms. The Federal Government is committed to continue this dialogue.”

    He stressed the fact that the President was interested in restoring peace to the Niger Delta, adding that Buhari has urged the use of every available opportunity to dialogue with the militants to end the matter.

    In terms of effects of the crisis on oil production, the minister said that “in terms of production, I think we are producing 1.5 and 1.6million barrel per day down from 2.2million of this year’s the basis of this year’s budget.”

    According to him, between now and August, if peace reigns, the sector would be able to raise the volume of production substantially.

    Kachikwu promised that the ministry and its related agencies would work hard to cover the gaps in a manner that the losses would not affect this year’s budget significantly.

  • Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) Thursday told the federal government that no amount of dialogue will end intermittent insurgency and youth restiveness in the oil-rich region if the critical questions of equity and development were not sorted out.

    President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri, who stated this during this year’s annual Major Isaac Adaka Boro anniversary, held in Effunrun, Delta state, also said the first step to get any form of dialogue with the people of the Niger Delta was the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    Lead speaker at the event, Tony Uranta, also charged the federal government not to terminate the amnesty programme, initiated by the previous administration yet as doing so would only be worsening the restiveness in the region.

    In his speech at the event, Eradiri said the only reason there was anything like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the insurgent group claiming responsibility for the recent upsurge of insurgency in the region, was because the same issues that Adaka Boro fought against in his days are still very much around in today’s Nigeria.

    “The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Sarowiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising. There are no Avengers anywhere. Settle these issues and the avengers would fizzle away.”

    “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja Wednesday but I told them that such meeting would not work. If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start admitting students, then we would now sit and talk,” Eradiri said.

    Meanwhile, the lead speaker at the event, Uranta, opined that time was not ripe for the federal government to terminate the amnesty programme, noting that doing so would only be helping in building an army of discontent youth in the region.

    “Government must reassure the people of the Niger Delta that it is not yet ready to terminate the Amnesty Programme as there are still a lot of people yet to go for training.

    “If you don’t engage these people, you are building up an army of discontent and the government must restructure Nigeria to a true federalism.”

    On her part, co-speaker and rights activist, Annkio Briggs, while condemning the federal government for the way and manner it is handling the agitations of the region, said “What the people of the Niger Delta region are asking for is self determination.

    “This is different from self succession. We want to own our resources and states should be allowed to explore their own resources while paying tax to the federal government,” she said.

     

  • Another gas pipeline destroyed in Warri

    Another gas pipeline destroyed in Warri

    The Warri-Escravos gas pipeline was again sabotaged in the early hours of Friday. There was yet to be any official confirmation neither claim of responsibility by anybody as at the time of filing this report.

    The incident, which was suspected to have been carried out by insurgents, most likely the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), which had claimed responsibility for earlier similar incident in the Warri creeks, happened behind a community called Salvation City, near Ogbe-ljoh, Warri South-West council area.

    It was gathered that those behind yesterday sabotage used dynamites and other dangerous weapons to carry out the attack. It happened at about 2:00am.

    Confirming the incident, the Spokesman of the Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC), Eric Omare, who is from Ogbe-Ijoh, said his community people informed him of the incident.

    “I got a call from the village this morning that there has been an explosion on a pipeline  located behind Salvation City, I think it is the one that links Escravos to Warri and I’m not sure of the operators, but I think it will be either NNPC or NGC”, he said.

    Although, details of the attack was still sketchy at the time of filing this report, an official of the Delta State government described the attack as a major blow to gas production in the country.

    It was gathered further that the attacked trunkline belongs to phase two of the Escravos-Lagos gas pipeline owned and operated by the Nigerian Gas Company Limited (NGC).

    Again, both military authorities and officials of the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), could not be reached for comments.

     

  • Ijaw youths predict more hostilities in Niger Delta

    Ijaw youths predict more hostilities in Niger Delta

    The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, yesterday, said there would be more hostilities in the Niger Delta region if President Muhammadu Buhari failed to probe “unfair allocation of oil blocs in the country” .

    The President of the IYC, Mr. Udengs Eradiri,  who spoke at a press conference in Yenagoa, as part of activities to celebrate this year’s Isaac Boro Day said much of the indiscriminate sharing of oil blocs were allegedly carried out when Buhari served as Petroleum Minister and Head of State.

    Business outfits in Yenagoa were closed yesterday following a directive by the IYC that shop owners should not operate in honour for Isaac Adaka Boro.

    Eradiri’s warning came about five days after the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) listed some oil blocs allegedly owned by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, ex-Minister of Petroleum, Alhaji Riwalnu Lukman, other Northerners and South-Westerners in Niger Delta region.

    The new militant group among other threats gave the Oil blocs’ other a two-week ultimatum to shut down operations at the Oil fields and evacuate their workers from the locations or have them blown up.

    Eradiri accused the President of denying Niger Deltans ownership of oil blocs while allegedly allocating same to his kinsmen and their cronies like a bazaar.

    He said : “One of the most salient issues that if not addressed will lead to more crisis is the issue of the oil blocs.

    “President Buhari was one time Petroleum Minister and Head of State in this country. Let us go and do an assessment of that time. The time when criminally they shared our oil blocs was under his watch either as Petroleum Minister or as Head of State. It is in one of those times.

    “Oil blocs were shared to one group. Look at it, either the person (owner of oil bloc) was a former military president or relative of the military president  or an in-law to a military president”, Eradiri said.

    The youth leader insisted that the allocation of the oil blocs did not follow due process outlined by the government.

    He called for a total review of the oil blocs to redress the injustice that such a manipulated process had brought against oil-producing communities of the Niger Delta.

    “And that is one of the biggest issues that if not addressed, there will be more Niger Delta Avengers, you will see groups and groups that will spring up until the issue is addressed”, he said.

    Eradiri described Boro as “an intellectual and fearless comrade” who stood up for the Niger Delta despite the oppressive tendencies of the government at the time.

    The IYC president noted that the issues of underdevelopment of the region for which Boro took up arms against the Federal Government “were still hunting us till today”.

  • We didn’t invade Oporoza community  – Army

    We didn’t invade Oporoza community  – Army

    Relevant armed forces authorities in the Niger Delta have debunked reports of a military operation into Oporoza, the headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West council area of Delta state in the early hours of Monday.

    Some national dailies and online news outlets had Tuesday  reported a military invasion of Oporoza, in search of members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), a self-styled insurgent group, which had claimed responsibility for all recent destructions of oil and gas facilities in the creeks.

    However, authorities at the 3 Battalion, Effunrun Barracks, Effunrun, Delta state, said the report of an invasion of Oporoza community was not true as there was no such operation as suggested by the report.

    When the Nation spoke to the Commanding Officer of the cantonment, Major Monday Anzaku, Tuesday, he said he was not aware of any military invasion or special operation in Oporoza as suggested by the news reports.

    “Believe be there no such thing as we have just read in the newspapers. This is my area we are talking about, how would there have been a military operation of the nature described by the newspapers without my knowledge? Even if such would be initiated from my headquarters, I would be instructed on what to do. The report is not true,” Anzaku said.

    Also, reliable sources from the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, when reached to confirm if the command was involved in an operation at Oporoza on Monday, said there was no operation to the area, which involved them.

    Although unable to reach the Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Raimi Mohammed, a very reliable source, when asked for confirmation simply relied ” negative”.

    Meanwhile, a source from the community had told the Nation on Monday afternoon that there was no problem in the community. According to him “I have called and asked my people and they said there was nothing unusual, just the normal security patrols that come and go, nothing unusual”.

    It would be recalled that several strategic oil and gas facilities, belonging mostly to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL), the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), have been destroyed by the insurgent group.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has also recently ordered the Nigerian armed forces to go after those behind the destructive activities, which has dipped Nigeria’s crude oil export by about 510,000 barrels of oil per day.

     

  • Ijaw youths to Buhari: Crush real militants

    Ijaw youths to Buhari: Crush real militants

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Monday, condemned the unwholesome activities of a new militant group in the Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    The IYC spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to fish out the real troublemakers and spare innocent persons and communities in the region.

    Omare, who spoke in Yenagoa said there was no justification for NBA to embark on destruction of oil facilities and pollution of the region’s environment.

    While siding Buhari’s efforts in unmasking the identities of the culprits, he said such move should only be targeted at the real militants.

    The new militant group has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on the SPDC platform at Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries.

    Omare said: “We do not see the justification in the Niger Delta Avengers embarking on destruction of oil facilities because Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, denounced the group.

    “I think Tompolo did the proper thing by coming out to inform the entire world that he was not part of the NDA when there were insinuations to the effect that he was behind them.

    “As with other cases of attack on oil facilities, the Niger Delta environment and people are the ultimate victims and would suffer from these latest attacks. The IYC believes that irrespective of their grievances, there are better ways of expressing them rather than contributing to the further destruction of the already massively degraded Niger Delta environment.”

    Omare added: “The security agencies should go after the real culprits and not innocent communities and people in the region. From our experience, the security personnel in a bid to impress their superiors and justify the huge amount of money budgeted for the purpose, always attack innocent communities and people.

    “This must not be allowed to happen this time around. We would also advise the Federal Government to be prompt in directing security agencies to deal with insurgent groups all over the country including the Fulani herdsmen who have been killing innocent Nigerians just like they have just directed in respect of the Niger Delta Avengers.”