Play time is over; Niger Delta Avengers Threaten Total Shutdown Of Oil Production After Ending Ceasfire

The high command of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), which shut down oil production for much of 2016, on Friday, declared that has ended its ceasefire with the Federal Government.

The declaration was contained in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Major-General Mudorch Agbinigbo. According to the statement, the group will restart hostilities, with attacks on oil installations because of perceived insincerity on the part of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The group accused Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transport, as a major impediment to all the peace talks with the Federal Government. While stating that it has refrained from attacking oil facilities since last year, the group said it will restart its offensive against major national oil assets, gas installations and force international oil companies such as Shell and Chevron out of the Niger Delta.

“To the Nigerian government, we are aware of Egina FPSO, built in South Korea by Samsung to be operated by Total Nigeria is one of the biggest FPSO built in South Korea, has started it’s voyage to the oil fields of the Niger Delta to further exploit us while our concerns are left unattended. We are presently tracking and monitoring its movement and God willing, it shall not operate successfully amidst the return of the fury of the Niger Delta Avengers,” the group vowed.

In addition, the NDA blasted the Pan- Niger Delta Elders’ Forum (PANDEF), and Mr. Government Ekpemuopolo (alias Tompolo), accusing them of providing the advice that made the group agree to a ceasefire in 2016. It stated that it no longer believes the Federal Government will honor its promise to the Niger Delta. The NDA threatened that it will no longer heed advice from PANDEF or Tompolo, warning them against adversarial actions it as it has put all its operatives on alert.

On the scale of hostilities, the NDA said the coming round will be worse than what the country experienced in 2016 and it is aimed at bringing the country “to the point of zero oil production”.

“Our next line of operation will not be like the 2016 campaign, which we operated successfully without any casualties. This outing will be brutish, brutal and bloody. We will crush everything we meet on our path to completely put off the fires that burn to flare gas in our communities and cut every pipe that moves crude away from our region. We can assure you that every oil installation in our region will feel the warmth of the wrath of the Niger Delta Avengers,” the group vowed.

The NDA described a militant group with the name, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, as a money-making tool operated by disgruntled political jobbers in the Niger Delta with support from top officials of the President Buhari administration.

“The Intelligence Unit of the NDA has gathered from our sources in the Nigerian Government that the operatives of the said Reformed Niger Delta Avengers are some fraudsters from the Niger Delta region working with government functionaries like the office of the Director-General, Department of State Security; Office of National Security Adviser and office of the Minister of Transport,” it said.

It alleged that the group is led by Richard Akinaka, Myke Loyibo, and Famous Daunumugha among others and they have promised to work with the Federal Government to truncate the dream of the Niger Delta people for socio-political and economic freedom.

The group also warned social media hands of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers that it will not treat them with kid gloves. It noted that it warned the elders of the Niger Delta that the Federal Government is only interested in the region’s oil, but it was told that things would be different. 

Instead of allowing us to continue our quest to bring the Nigerian economy to our targeted zero daily production, which recorded huge success, you threatened us with Tompolo to stop the struggle. Out of respect for elders and not to the threat of Tompolo, we heeded the call and halted our strike actions hoping you would keep your own side of the bargain,” raged the NDA.

It wondered what progress has been made, saying its members are ready to take on all comers should there be an attack on them.

“Tompolo, we want you to know that we never started this struggle with the intent of living forever, but with our lives already offered for a sacrifice for a better Niger Delta. We invite you to come after us with your total force as we are no longer ready to heed uninspiring advice from you or anyone else in the Niger Delta region,” raged the group.