N’Delta militants issue December deadline for relocation of IOCs headquarters

Except international oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region relocate their headquarters to the region, Niger Delta militants may resume hostilities in that region.

This was disclosed by the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators on Wednesday, saying the refusal of the IOC to relocate will force them back to the creeks to resume their suspended agitation.

The coalition, which also condemned the invasion of the Abuja home of Chief Edwin Clark, described it as an attempt to assassinate Clark for championing the course of the Niger Delta people.

A statement signed by leaders of the militant groups that make up the coalition warned IOCs that failed to relocate their headquarters to the Niger Delta before December 2018 to stop operation or be ready to face the consequences.

The signatories of the statement included John Duku, leader of Niger Delta Watchdogs and the Convener of the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators; Ekpo Ekpo (Niger Delta Volunteers), Osarolor Nedam (Niger Delta Warriors), Henry Etete (Niger Delta Peoples Fighters) and Asukwo Henshaw (Bakassi Freedom Fighters).

According to the coalition, it had played its part by holding onto its pledge to cease fire, adding that with the resumption of hostilities, the agitators would force national oil production to 200 barrels per day within one month.

The militants also condemned the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill into law, describing it as an attempt to forcefully control the Niger Delta resources by proxy.

The statement read: “We view, analyse and also condemn in strongest terms the unwarranted order by the Federal Government and the Inspector-General of Police to invade the Abuja home of Niger Delta leader and elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, with the aim of assassinating him for championing restructuring and the course of the Niger Delta people.

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“The recent attempt on the life of Chief E. K. Clark is one of the attempts on the people in the Southern and Middle Belt Forum penciled down for assassination or frame-up by this administration through the office of the Inspector- General of Police, conniving with some top government functionaries from the Niger Delta region, including two former governors who just defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

“Our intelligence further revealed that some of the people under the government’s watch list that would either be assassinated or framed up are Obong Victor Attah, Dr Alfred Mulade, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd.), Senator Bassey Henshaw, Mr Yinka Odumakin, Prof Chigozie Ogbu, Dr Isuwa Dogo and others for attempting to stand against the killings across the country as well as their stance on restructuring.

“We hereby issue an ultimatum that any oil company that fails to relocate its headquarters to the Niger Delta between now and December 2018 should stop operation and vacate the Niger Delta region or face the consequences.

“The coalition wishes to state here clearly that we had fulfilled our part by maintaining total peace and ceasefire in the Niger Delta since 2017 as advised by the Niger Delta elders and leaders, the oil output during the period have increased tremendously.”

 

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