A group, the Niger Delta Patriotic Front, NDPF, has advised the government and people of Nigeria not to be hoodwinked by the antics of Niger Delta Avengers, stressing that the militants “does not have the capacity to sustain their current madness.”
It asserted that the renewed militancy was an agenda aimed at arm twisting the federal government to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation to “discontinue the criminal trial of Tompolo and his band of ex-NIMASA executives and also Colonel Dasuki.”
This was contained in a statement issued by the NDPF’s Director of Information, Mr. Joel Tamarakepreye, which reads; “Nigerians should not be deceived as the cowardly NDA does not have the capacity to sustain their current madness, hence its insistence in forcing down the throat of Nigerians the reality of an on-going negotiation, which conclusion is a so- called political solution.
“Is it not laughable and a clear pointer to the political agenda of the cowardly NDA that the unconditional release of Colonel Dasuki is a major line item in their demands? What relationship does the trial of Colonel Dasuki has on the Niger Delta demands for a fair deal from Nigeria? No consequential negotiation so far.
“The Niger Delta Patriotic Front knows that currently there are no meaningful negotiations going on with any group in the Niger Delta, other than the usual discussions and lamentations that the people have for many years been engaging themselves, the Nation and the world for solutions to their economic and environmental challenges.”
Tamarakepreye added that: “The cowardly NDA and their cowardly sponsor should be men enough to face the reality of the outcome of their killings of Nigerian Army personnel and destruction of oil and gas infrastructure and leave General Boyloaf, Ayiri and Timipre Sylva out of their meaningless and non-existing negotiations.”
NDPF further urged the people of South East not to be deceived by the entreaties of Niger Delta Avengers, saying: “They should ask themselves how many Easterners benefited from contracts when they held sway there.
“The cowardly NDA seek to create a larger platform to unify the Niger Delta and South East into a single political agenda. Our South East brothers should know that while there are similarities between our aspirations, we are competing rivals in the Nigerian market place, and these men that seek to involve them are not honourable and the Niger Delta region will not reward them nor return the favour of supporting criminals.
“The Niger Delta Patriotic Front, therefore, calls on all those who seek to use and divert the Niger Delta struggle to cover up the thieving and looting leveled against them individually and the corporate entities in which they have substantial interests to desist from doing so,” the group said.