Niger Delta militants

Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the militant group that has claimed responsibility for most of the recent attacks on oil facilities in the Nigeria oil producing region on Saturday night said it would cease hostilities in deference to peace efforts initiated by some Niger Delta elders and traditional rulers led by Chief Edwin Clark.

Brigadier Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, spokesperson for the group said in a statement published on NDA website that the group would allow genuine Niger Delta stakeholders  to engage the Federal Government on solutions to issues affecting the oil-rich region.

The militant group said it would support the negotiating team that Chief Edwin Clark’s Niger Delta and other stakeholders at who participated at a recent conference in Warri, Delta State would put together to negotiate with the Federal Government and multinational oil companies on modalities for ending the crisis in the region.

But it warned that it would abandon the ceasefire and result to asymmetric warfare if the Federal Government use security agencies to harass or intimidate its suspected members.

“We are going to continue the observation of our unannounced cessation of hostilities in the Niger Delta against all interests of the multinational oil corporations, but we will continuously adopt our asymmetric warfare during this period if the Nigerian government and the ruling political APC continues to use security agencies/agents, formations and politicians to arrest, intimidate, invade and harass innocent citizens, suspected NDA members and invade especially Ijaw communities”, it stated.

“We are going to support any collective negotiation team emerging from the Chief (Dr.) Papa Edwin Kiagbodo Clark Niger Delta elders and genuine stakeholders conference to engage with the federal government of Nigeria, representatives from the home countries of all multinational Oil Corporations and neutral international mediators that will be focused on achieving the short, medium and long term frameworks and objectives to de-escalating conflicts in the Niger Delta.

“Most of the frameworks and objectives are clearly stated in various reports, declarations and recommendations of the likes of the Sir. Henry Willinks minority rights reports of pre-independence Nigeria (1957-8), The Kaiama Declaration document, The General Alexander Ogomudia report, The Ledum Mittee-headed Niger Delta Technical Committee report and restructuring to fiscal federalism”, it stated.

“We want the peace with honour this time around! Our advice to our Niger Delta elders and genuine stakeholders is that whenever this inhuman project called Nigeria and her government is ready for dialogue/negotiations with them, this mandate should be treated with that care as driving a vehicle like that of a truck laden with fire”, it added.

“We promise to fight more for the Niger Delta, if this opportunity fails. Therefore, we will give our Niger Delta elders and genuine stakeholders that tacit support to the dialogue table with the government and the multinational oil corporations whenever the enabling environment prevails”, it added.

NDA also warned those it accused of using the Niger Delta struggle to make money to desist from such actions.

“We also use this medium to warn those using rogue platforms like the defunct so-called MEND, RNDA- Cynthia Whyte, especially Charles Okah who is franchising these internet-based banditry from his prison cell, through Victor Ebikabowei Ben (Boyloaf), Timipre Silva, Selekaye Ebikabowei, Ayirimi Emani, Michael Johnny, Governor Adams Oshiomole to please inform those their paymasters that the days of doom are here.

“That those sold and bought up interests from around the corridors of power cannot arm-twist the NDA with bandits, drug addicts, illegal bunkerers, bank robbers and disorganized characters to derail the Niger Delta struggle”, the group added.