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Niger Delta ex-militants threaten Buhari

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For peace to reign in the Niger Delta region, former militants in the area say government must aggressively pursue development of the Niger Delta or there may be another crisis in the region.
The former militants under the Third Phase Group said their call was a wakeup call, as failure of past administrations to listen to them led to increase in militancy and unrest, which caused drastic drop in national earning
They berated former Presidential Adviser to the President on the Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, for the way he handled the programme, and warned the current handlers to be mindful of what plagued the Kuku regime, claiming that the amnesty programme was a huge failure under him.
Their call was contained in a joint statement by National Chairman, Diepreye Ogbetebe; Vice Chairman, John Government; Secretary, Etarighobe Thompson and Delta State Chairman, Prince Ogor.
The ex-militants said: “The Programme under Kuku specifically failed as a result of mismanagement of funds allocated for the programme by the Federal Government. Five groups under the third phase were marginalized and there were malicious diversion and deprivation of genuine and real persons that surrendered their arms and ammunition for which the slots were legitimately approved for.”
Read also: Tompolo, IYC welcome Boroh as amnesty boss
They spoke as another Niger Delta group, Egbema Voice in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, also yesterday, urged President Buhari to call security agencies employing state apparatus to terrorize and harm the reputation of ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, to order.

Read also: Please, do shut up, ex-militants tell Asari-Dokubo

The group in a statement by Chief Wilfred Elebiri and two others, said: “In as much as we are not opposed to the anti-corruption crusade of this government, we sincerely and will wholeheartedly condemn and fight any person or group of persons that will use the state paraphernalia to intimidate and humiliate our High Chief or any Niger Deltan.”
It said the actions of the agents/agencies of the administration, so far, were merely to discredit any person or persons perceived to be on the other side of the divide, adding, “these actions are deliberately targeted at the peace-loving people of Niger Delta whose resources these oligarchy has been feeding on all along.”

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