The militants under the aegis of Ultimate Warriors
of the Niger Delta said their patience was running
out since government had refused to discuss with
them in a ceasefire that elapsed on Monday.
UWND in a statement its Media Director, Sibiri
Taiowoh also pledged affiliation with the rampaging
Niger Delta Avengers. The group threatened to
embarked on full-scale destruction of oil
installations in the days ahead.
Taiowoh also pledged affiliation with the rampaging
Niger Delta Avengers. The group threatened to
embarked on full-scale destruction of oil
installations in the days ahead.
The group in the statement titled, ‘If you make the
peaceful change that we seek impossible, we will
make violent change possible’, stressed, “We are
sounding this as a last warning before the whirlwind
gets down. The tsunami that would descend in
coming days would be severe for the current
government to handle.
“We bet you this government wouldn’t be able to
handle what would happen in the Niger Delta in the
days ahead. When it gets down, they would say the
opposition is behind it but we don’t care. All over
the world, militia groups emerge for a reason and
we have made our reasons clear and vivid.”
According to them, instead of the government to
open doors of discussion, its senior ministers were
busy throwing punches at each other and playing
politics with the core issues relating to the region.
It added, “Two week of ceasefire had gone without
any tangible effort by the government. No
roundtable dialogue has kick started, instead,
government officials are quarreling over critical
issue of national important.
“Our patience is running out and we have decided to
let the world know our grievances pure and plain
again. The operations that would follow these plans
are strategic and all operations would be codified
as our goals have been codified in a one line
mission statement.”
“Our mission is simple; give us our rightful due as
producer of Nigeria oil wealth. We would not give
you the peace you want to continue the exploitation
of our people if we don’t see proactive government
action on major federal government projects in the
Niger Delta like the multibillion dollar Export
Processing Zone (EPZ) project and the already
approved Federal University of Maritime in
Okenrenkoko, Delta state.
“For us, this is not about Jonathan, not about
Tompolo and any other person they are pointing
fingers to as master mind of this well planned
attacks. This is about us-the indigent people. This
is about our mothers and children you are being
ripped off. And some have said why now; it is
simple. There is time for everything; this is the time
for change and we want the change in the Niger
delta now!”, the statement further stated.
It however distanced itself from some militant
groups demanding the FG unfroze some suspected
corrupt politicians’ account or halting the
prosecution of any person under investigation
saying they were not going to be part of any
dialogue process lacking transparency and sincerity.
It stated further, “We are of several units in the
region and we have commanders, willing soldiers
across the region who are waiting for the next line
of action to strike. Our mission is to drive
government attention to act fast because dialogue-
upon- dialogue has failed us. We will ruin the
Nigerian oil wealth until Nigeria is restructuring to
reflect a true government of the people.
“The federal government cannot continue to give us
crumbs. We own the oil, we own the wealth, we will
no longer accept outsider’s controlling oil blocs
that are in our land. We want 60 percent of it for our
people because we own the resources that sustain
the country.
“If the federal government cannot call itself to order
by visiting the Niger Delta Master Plan or
commence immediate implementation of the
portion of the 2014 National Conference which
created a new road map for the speedy
development of the region, then Buhari should
expect violent change for his first four years in
office.
“We are giving the National Assembly ultimatum to
act in this direction towards the Niger Delta region.
We cannot have you and still be suffering
annexation, deprivation and gross injustice in the
hands of the Nigeria state. By the time we are
through with total blowing up or shutting down of all
oil installations in the core oil producing states of
Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Delta, Bayelsa, Cross-Rivers,
Ondo, where willing men have been positioned, the
members of the legislature who failed to act
decisively when we needed them most in this crisis
would be our next targets. The institutions will
follow”, it added
