The Federal Government explained yesterday why it has refused to enter into dialogue with the Niger Delta Avengers who has continuously bombed pipelines in the region even as the militants vowed not to beg government for negotiation.
The Federal Government gave the explanation a day after the Avengers blew up three more trunk lines in Bayelsa and Rivers. Meanwhile, residents of over 75 riverine communities Delta state have cried out over the pollution of their environment and environment by the activities of the Avengers and other militant groups.
Giving reason why the Federal Government was not holding talks with the Niger Delta Avengers on how to put an end to the bombing of pipelines, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said that they are not freedom fighters but economic warriors who are fighting for their own private pockets.
Professor Osinbajo who delivered the second foundation lecture of Elizade University,Ilaramokin, Ondo state entitled “The Future is here earlier than we thought”, declared that “the so called avengers are not freedom fighters but fighting for their own economic benefits.
They are avenging for their private pocket and that is why government is not talking with them”.
The Vice President however said that the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to tackle the menace of pipeline vandalism in the Niger/Delta region. While condemning the activities of the militants who claimed responsibility for the vandalization of petroleum pipelines in the Niger/Delta region, said “the previous government neglected the region for several years, hence the current challenges in the region.
The Federal Government has however put machinery in motion to curtail the activities of Niger/Delta Avengers”.He also lamented that the activities of the avengers were responsible for the epileptic power supply in the country as well as the inability of state governors to pay workers’ salaries due to the low revenue generated in the oil sector as a result of the attack on pipelines.
The NDA, however, continued its crippling attacks on the nation’s economy, blowing up the Nembe 1, 2 and 3 trunk lines in Bayelsa and Rivers states, in the early hours of Friday.
The group, which maintained in an electronic mail that it would not beg government for dialogue, later on its website claimed responsibility for the attack, saying: “At about the of 3.00 am to 5.00 am, the Niger Delta Avenger blew up Nembe 1, 2, and 3 trunk-lines in Bayelsa/River States.” Its spokesperson, self-styled Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, asserted “We are using this medium to warn the general public of impostors’ Facebook accounts. Niger Delta Avenger is not on Social network anymore.”
It was however, gathered that residents are worried that the rampaging militants vowed to attack and shoot villagers who dare to interrupt their operations.
The Niger Delta Avengers, also yesterday, said it does not care if the Federal Government hires mercenaries from Saudi Arabia or anywhere to fight them. Reacting to online reports that the federal government had concluded agreement with Saudi authorities to deploy Saudi Blackwater mercenaries to the Niger Delta region to tackle militants that had been bombing oil facilities, spokesperson of the group, self-styled Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, told newsmen that NDA was not perturbed.
A staff in The Royal Embassy of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nigeria supposedly confirmed the $280 million deal, as part of the agreement in the Saudi-led Islamic coalition against terrorism to Vaxity. Anwar Eshki, a retired Major General, in the Saudi armed forces is reportedly the head of Blackwater, which undertakes such assignments for the Saudi Arabian government.
Niger Delta Avengers in its reaction, said: “The Niger Delta Avengers do not care if the federal government hires or concludes plans to bring in Bluewater, Graywater, Pinkwater, Whitewater or Blackwater mercenaries from Saudi Arabia. It is none of our business, the Saudi Arabia, has its own problem of terrorism, so coming here to help Nigerian government is funny. The Niger Delta region will win this war,” the group added.
The Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, also responding to the alleged move by government to hire Saudi mercenaries, said: “We want to reiterate that bombing Niger Delta communities or wasting $258million to hire fighters to fight the Niger Delta Avengers will not stop Niger Delta quest for self-determination. Rather, it will aggravate and teach aggrieved youths better warfare and how to go about acquiring modern equipment to fight back tomorrow.”
The group in a joint statement by the national president and spokesperson, Austin Ozobo and Daniel Ezekiel, said: “We wonder why the government is so bent on wasting such huge amount of money to hire fighters from Saudi Arabia to fight a region that has fed the country for the past 58 years. We are also surprised at the president’s decision to hire his Muslim allies to fight Niger Delta people.” It asked: “Why not Nigeria soldiers?
What happened to the 100 gunboats, 5 warships and 3 fighter jets earlier deployed to the creeks to fight Niger Delta Avengers, which turned into a venture of intimidating innocent people and invading communities?