Insecurity: Avengers regroup to commence blowing up oil installations
Chidi Ogbuokiri
As the insecurity spreads across the country, the dreaded militia group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has regrouped, announcing their plan on Saturday to commence blowing oil and gas installations in the region soon.
The militia group also threatened that no top politician from the region who had joined to sabotage the redevelopment of the region would be spared in the imminent hostility.
To this effect, the group has repositioned its Strike Teams 01 – 09 and all other formations and ordered them to regroup and remain on red alert awaiting further command.
In 2016, the challenge posed by the group caused a major setback to the oil and gas sector forcing the economy into a recession.
A statement by the NDA Field Commander Tu-ere, a.k.a Queen of the Creeks, the first female to be promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, the group vowed to force the country into another recession that the country might not recover from so soon.
The statement titled; “We Are Back with Operation Humble”, the militia group said it has exhausted its patience following the collapsed intervention of leaders and stakeholders from the area. They accused the Federal Government of failing to meet the demands of the group to speed up development of the region since they declared a ceasefire.
The statement reads in part: “There is no gainsaying that the failed country called Nigeria which has fed fat on our God given wealth is at the brink of total disintegration owing to the security and related challenges across the country; ranging from terrorism and banditry in the North to the secessionist gongs of the Oduduwa people of the Southwest and IPOB of the Southeast, it is obvious that peace in the Niger Delta and by extension the South South geopolitical region is the very thin piece still binding this country together.
The group said it was disheartening that despite the fact that the region has been the economic backbone of Nigeria for decades, it is still languishing in squalor.
“Having resolved to maintain the peaceful environment for the smooth operations of the oil multinationals whose proceeds the country cling unto for economic survival the Niger Delta and the South South remain the most underdeveloped with our needs and interests undermined by the failed Nigerian State.
“We decided to suspend our famous, operation red economy‚ which bled the Nigerian economy into recession about four years ago not because we are lazy but for the love we have for our people and out of respect for the voice of the elders of the Niger Delta region who beckoned on us to give peace a chance and avail the government time to act on our demands at the time.”
The fierce group said its high command had exhausted its patience to allow the government speed up the development of the region, thus the decision to pass a vote of no confidence on the Chief Edwin Clark led – Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and resumed hostility.
The group accused PANDEF and ex-agitators in the region of now frolicking with the government at the detriment of the people.
“In a move to remind this failed government that we have exhausted the very last iota of patience, the High Command of the Niger Delta Avengers have in a meeting held last night resolved as follows: We have lost total confidence on all socio-cultural groups like PANDEF, the elders of Niger Delta and the bunch of so-called ex-agitators frolicking with the government at our detriment.
“This operation shall be coded, Operation Humble‚ which aims at bringing down targeted oil installations in the Niger Delta region to humble the economy into permanent recession. This mission is also targeted at political actors who are collaborating with the Nigerian government to undermine the interest of the Niger Delta people,” the statement concluded.