Crisis looms as Niger Delta militants cancel ceasefire, give fresh ultimatum

Militants in the Niger Delta, the oil rich region in Nigeria, has cancelled its ceasefire issued to the Federal Government and the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF).

A militant group, Niger Delta Creek Warriors, a coalition of agitators in Niger Delta region, while declaring a a fresh seven days ultimatum, said it cancelled the ceasefire over alleged failure of Federal Government to meet its demands.

This was disclosed by the spokesman of the coalition, General Christ who said: “We, the various militants groups in Niger Delta, comprising Niger Delta Creek Warriors, Ogunuma Camp of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Republic Seekers and Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders have agreed to address the nation.

“And that it has come to our notice that President Muhammadu Buhari and his subordinates do not want the relative peace we’re having in the country. Having waited for long without implementing the demands by Pan-Niger Delta Elders Forum, a demand on behalf of the people of Niger Delta, we have no option than to withdraw our ceasefire deal with Federal Government.

“We, therefore, give the Federal Government seven days ultimatum to address the following demands immediately as we cannot continue to be continuously deceived.

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“We are aware that Shell Petroleum Development Company applied for renewal of oil blocks in Niger Delta and we have not seen what they have done before now (for our people). Let them go offshore.

“The Federal Government should immediately resettle Bakassi communities and implement every other sector of British, Germany, America and EU Green Tree Agreement.

“Ogoni clean-up and entire Niger Delta region; Immediate take-off of Brass LNG; adequate funding of Okerenkoko Maritime University; upgrading of Maritime Academy, Oron to university status; immediate take-off of Gelegele seaport in Edo State; budgetary allocation for Strategic Work, Implementation Plan, SWIP, for Niger Delta.

“Immediate award/construction of the following roads in Niger Delta: Bonny, Bodo, Abonny, Idamo Abissa, Kula Road to Soku, Edem Sanga, Nembe Brass road to Akasa, Warri/Escravos, Warri to Ogulagha.

“Finally, the seaport in Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, which will open the Izon nationwide to business, should be implemented immediately

“Finally, the Federal Government, in the person of President Buhari should immediately make a categorical statement on restructuring the nation in order to bring the nation under one roof. Else, the Federal Government will leave us with no choice than to use Bonny, Membe and Forcados trunk lines, two weeks from now as a notice of resuming hostility in Niger Delta.”

The Joint Task Force, JTF, has however vowed to crush the militants, saying they cannot be intimidated or threatened by militants.

The spokesman of the task force in charge of fighting criminality in the area, Major Ibrahim Abubakar, in his reaction, said: “The task force is fighting criminality and militancy in Niger Delta, nobody can threaten and intimidate us, it is our mandate to stop them and we must stop them.”

According to him the task force would crush any group that rears itself in the name of militancy in the region.

“We should disregard these faceless people, anybody can call you at anytime and claim to be militants. Journalists should not allow faceless people to call them and say whatever they like on phone,” he added.

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