FG, US, others begged us not to launch missiles –JNDLF

The Revolutionary Council, JRC, of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF has said it jettisoned its planned missile launch against some targeted areas across the country after the federal government and some foreign nations made passionate appeals to it via email.

The JRC stated this in a statement on Friday by General Akotebe Darikoro and three others while also warning that governors of Niger Delta states who betray the group’s position, risk being attacked.

The group said: “There is no gainsaying that we made our earlier promise to launch six Missiles simultaneously against some targeted areas. But this was waved aside as a result of appeals made to us through email by the Federal Government and some international nations to open talks with (President) Buhari.”

“We saw some genuine aspiration on the part of Buhari, who made several contacts to us to see reason with them over the issue of under-development of the region. And since he (Buhari) had set the ball rolling for a clear negotiation with us, there is no problem without solution. We have therefore declared ceasefire in order to negotiate with the government if it is a true reflection of what they have in mind to develop the Niger Delta region.

The group however said it was not ready to negotiate with the federal government for the sake of monetary benefit, but how genuinely the government will develop the region.

It added that if government comes with anything less than that, it will continue the struggle without further warning.

Warning governors of Niger Delta states against any act of betrayal, the group said: “We shall continue to engage in dialogue if our demands are met. Our representatives for the dialogue, especially the governors and others will not betray our demands with the federal government.

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“Any betrayal on their own part shall be viewed as betrayal of the entire region and we shall go after them immediately as they know our mode of operation in which they will not escape from us.”

Enumerating conditions that must be met before attacks on oil and gas facilities in the region are stopped, the group asked for the “immediate release of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) and Dr. Nnamdi Kanu, whose release was ordered by the court severally”, saying “their continued detention was unconstitutional and against the tenet of our nascent democracy in the country”.

The JNDLF also demanded that the federal government must “direct EFCC to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, (a.k.a. Tompolo). The only Nigerian Maritime University sited in the most appropriate and befitting place – Okerenkoko in Delta State, must start the 2015/2016 academic session immediately.

“The immediate implementation of the report of the 2014 National Conference report, failure of which Nigeria will forcefully break-up.

“Oil-polluted lands in the Niger Delta must be cleaned up, while compensation should be paid to all oil-producing communities, e.g. Chevron fire outbreak of gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa state and Bonga Oil Spill in 2011.

“Removal of Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd.) as an Amnesty Coordinator who does not understand the programmes and policies of the Amnesty and does not know us to the grassroots.

“Hence he (Boroh) should be replaced with Dr. Felix Tuodolo who has been in the struggle of non-violence since 1980 and he was the designer of the Amnesty programme.

The group also added that it has been carrying out attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the region because of the statement made by President Buhari that, he will develop those areas that gave him 95% votes during his presidential election last year.

“We, the Niger Delta people only gave him 5% hence we vowed that our oil money will not be used for the development of any other region. The President should change his mind-set towards the region, if not this will continue.”

Singling out the United States for intervening in the process that led to the suspension of its missile launch, the group said: “We further thank the American government and other international nations through several emails for prevailing on us not to use missiles, but to come to round table discussion with the federal government. We also thank our foreign partners who have gone back with their chartered submarine vessels. However, if these demands are not met as we have embarked on cease fire now, there will be no further ultimatum to the Nigerian government.”

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