A militant group,
Niger Delta Defence Corps (NDDC) has threatened to continue the bombing of oil
pipelines unless its members were represented in the on-going peace meeting
between the Pan Niger Delta group, headed by Chief Edwin Clark and the Federal
Government.
NDDC, led by one
General John Egbe, had threatened to blow up two pipelines in Delta and Rivers
states, noting that the failure to invite the group would have dire
consequences as the group would carry out attacks on oil pipelines.
A few hours after
the first meeting between the Niger Delta leaders and the Federal
Government, a
major oil pipeline was blown up in Delta.
NDDC in a statement
claimed responsibility and served notice that more oil pipelines would be
attacked until representatives of the group were invited to join in the meeting
between the Niger Delta stakeholders and the Federal Government. According to
Egbe, more attacks on the oil pipelines would demonstrate to the Federal
Government that the Pan Niger Delta group cannot halt the bombings of pipelines
in the region.
He accused the Niger
Delta elders of refusing to include representatives of militant groups in the
Pan Niger Delta group and giving the Federal Government the impression that
they can influence militants in the region.
He said the Federal
Government should hold the Pan Niger Delta group responsibile for allowing the
attacks as it did not ensure a proper representation, especially of militants
in the meeting.
He said Chief Clark,
King Diete-Spiff and some unnamed Niger Delta leaders from Delta masquerading
as peace makers do not have the capacity to call militant leaders in the region
to order.
“We, the Niger Delta
Defence Corps (NDDC), are responsible for Trans-Forcados Export Trunk Line at
Batan community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State. As we
promised the Federal Government on Monday, October 31, 2016, more attacks will
soon be launched. Let the Federal Government hold Pan-Niger Delta Forum
responsible for the attacks. They have not contacted us. The Federal Government
should go to the media and contact all the groups and send us invitation and we
will send our representatives. The Niger Delta leaders are aware that they
cannot stop the bombing of oil pipelines. What they can do is to appeal which
we can chose to ignore,” it said.
Following the
festering militants activities in the region, President Muhammadu Buhari last
Tuesday met with leaders from the region in Abuja.
The stakeholders
tabled a 16-point demand.
The shopping list
which bordered on the socio-economic
development, security and restoration of peace in the region, included the need
to fast-track interventions on some of the
region infrastructure, award of oil bloc to Niger Delta indigenes,
presidential amnesty programme, law and justice issues and the effect of
increased military presence in the region
The forum is one of
the strategies by the Federal Government to resolve the crisis.sunnewsonline
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