By Emma Amaize, Soni Daniel & Brisibe Perez WARRI—Rampaging militant group, Niger-Delta Avengers,NDA, said, yesterday, it had concluded plans to attack installations in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Calabar. This came as soldiers also, yesterday, invaded Oporoza, headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State and home base of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
The troops, who arrived the community in two gunboats, were in search of members of Niger Delta Avengers, the militant group that resumed bombing of oil installations in the state. The military men, who came at 12.30a.m., laid siege to the community until about 5a.m., when they departed. A source said the Army reportedly acted on intelligence report that the militants had secretly converged on the community. However, the Pere (traditional ruler) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, HRM Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketekpe Agadaba, who expressed fears over the development, yesterday, offered to mediate in the face-off between the Federal Government and Tompolo, despite his dissatisfaction over neglect of the kingdom by government. But the Niger-Delta Avengers, which earlier claimed that it had no link with Tompolo and in fact, issued him a three-day ultimatum for denouncing the group, remained unperturbed, as it said it had concluded plans to extend its attacks to Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Calabar.
A source said leaders of the militant group reviewed their operations, weekend, and expressed satisfaction that it was able to effortlessly cripple oil operations in Delta State and was willing to continue with the bombings, if President Buhari failed to address their demands. Military’ll fish out perpetrators— Boroh Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Co-ordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, PAP, Brig-Gen. Paul Boroh (retd), expressed confidence in the ability of the military and other security agencies to apprehend those behind the recent sabotage of oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta. “None of these elements will go unpunished for their nefarious acts against the interest of the nation,” Boroh warned. Boroh, who spoke in Abuja, said following the presidential directive to arrest the situation, he was confident that the perpetrators will be arrested soon. Yoruba group warns against attack on Lagos Similarly, Oodua Defenders Union, ODU, described the threat by NDA, to attack Lagos within a matter of days as an insult on the Yoruba race. In a statement by its President-General, Rabak Anthony, the group warned Ijaw youths against any attack in Lagos or any part of Yorubaland. Oodua Defenders Union, said: “This Ijaw threat that was published in all the media, both electronic and print, cannot be taken for granted. Therefore, the Yoruba are ready to make the first move against the Ijaws in Lagos before their brothers will storm Lagos. “We fought the Ijaws here in Lagos before because of this arrogance and they know we are ready for them. They came here about five years ago to attack the Atlas Cove where Naval officers guarding tank farms were killed. So, we are not taking this threat without preparation. We are ready, let them make the move.”
The group said its members, spread across the South-West, could deal with the Ijaw threat, asking security agents to go after the Niger Delta Avengers. Goodday Smith disowns NDA Meanwhile, a former militant leader and member of the Delta State Waterways and Land Security Committee, Mr. Goodday Smith, yesterday, denied being a member of Niger Delta Avengers. He said: “Those who are aggrieved in one way or the other with the Federal Government should channel their grievances to the appropriate quarters, instead of engaging in such acts of destruction of oil installations.” They sent a wrong signal —Ijaw leader Ijaw leader and Ibibenimowei (Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekam, who confirmed the invasion of Oporoza by soldiers, told Vanguard on phone: “No arrest was made and there was no casualty, but they sent a wrong signal to the people. They came in two gunboats and people ran for their lives. “They were armed and nobody could approach them as they moved about the community, going from one place to the other.
After they left this morning (Monday), there was tension everywhere as people did not know what their mission was and what next. “Gbaramatu people are not part of Niger Delta Avengers, which claimed responsibility for the recent bombing of oil installations in the state and can never be part of them. We condemn their actions and are against pipeline vandalism of any sort. So, we do not see why the army should turn our community to a hunting ground.” Osinbajo in crucial meeting with Gov Dickson, Kachikwu, security chiefs, oil companies Against the backdrop of current attacks on major oil installations in the Niger Delta, the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday evening, met with many stakeholders. Among them were the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson; the Amanyanabo of Toun Brass, Bayelsa State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff in company of the representatives of major oil firms, which included Shell, Total, AGIP, NLNG and Chevron. Before the meeting with the Bayelsa governor, the Vice President had first met with some security chiefs from Navy and Army, the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and some other officials of government Political solution can’t be ruled out — Monarch HRM Oboro-Gbaraun II, Aketeke Agadaba, in a statement, said: “Tompolo is one of my illustrious subjects.
It is therefore, incumbent on me to set machinery in place to intervene in this matter. In as much as it is apparently a legal issue, political solution cannot be completely ruled out and so I am desirous to see this matter resolved amicably. “Mr President will agree with me that this matter has generated so much tension in the Niger Delta in recent times, and in my opinion, such tension is unnecessary at this point in time, as peace is very necessary for this administration to deliver the promised dividends of democracy to the people. “I wish to state my total abhorrence of pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the region because such would hinder economic progress and development in the region. “One of my priorities as the Pere of Gbaramatu is to ensure that the area is free of crimes such as illegal crude oil refining as such acts do not only affect the economy of the country, but also destroy the ecology which is very dear to me and my people.”
APC warns NDA against troubling Buhari Meanwhile, the South-East caucus of All Progressives Congress, APC, has asked Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, to direct its grievances to former President Goodluck Jonathan, if there was anything to avenge or blame the government for. The party also called on the militants to immediately sheathe their swords and give President Buhari more time to look into their demands. Mixed reactions trail NDA’s bombings Findings by Vanguard, however, showed that there are divisions among groups in the region over whether or not to support the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers and the continued hunt for Tompolo by security agents. Niger Delta Riverine Security slammed NDA, which it described as “a criminal and devilish group, which is interested in turning the Niger Delta into a region where the safety of lives and property is not guaranteed.” Commandant-General of the organisation, Commander Oduku, said: “The group (Niger Delta Avengers) is interested in crippling economic activities in the Niger Delta and Nigeria.
I advise Niger Delta youths not to fraternize with these criminals.” Spokesperson of non-operational Niger Delta Liberation Front, NDLF, “Captain” Mark Anthony, said members of Niger Delta Avengers should come out boldly to declare their mission if the group had a good motive for the region and stop behaving like cowards. “If they have genuine intentions for the region, they should be bold enough to come out and make their demands known. When we were carrying out our activities under the leadership of the late “General” John Togo, we did not hide our identity,” he said. IYC blames Buhari for attacks Blaming President Buhari for attacks on oil installations, President of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Udengs Eradiri, said: “This is what we were avoiding and President Buhari should be blamed for anything that is currently happening in the region. “He has not come up with an economic plan for the region since his assumption of office. All his plans, including the budget, have no reflection that economic activities would blossom in the region and once you keep these youths idle, they become the devil’s workshop.” Meanwhile, some militant leaders, under the auspices of Concerned Militant Leaders, have thrown their weight behind NDA. A statement by their spokesperson, “General” Ben, said: “We are in total support of the actions of our colleagues, and the Federal Government should know that the attacks on oil installations in the region will continue if it fails to address topical issues affecting the people of the area.”
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