Nigeria is made of 5 republics, let’s split it now –N’Delta militants

Tension in Nigeria continues to mount as a fresh demand to split the country into five republics to be known as the United Republics of Nigeria has emerged.

The five republics as proposed are Arewa Islamic Republic, Biafra Republic, N’Delta Republic, Oduduwa Republic and Middle Belt Republic.

The call came from a coalition of militant groups under the auspices of the Reformed Egbesu Assembly (REF).

REF is among the many other groups that have distanced themselves from Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF).

PANDEF had on Thursday met with Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, after an urgent meeting is believed to have been arranged between the two, following PANDEF’s earlier threat to quit its peace talks with the government.

The Clark group had allegedly vowed that if the Federal Government fails to commence implementation of a 16-point agenda for the region by end of September, it will quit the peace talks.

The group’s meeting with Osinbajo on Thursday was without the support of Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), REF, and other militant groups.

However, PANDEF had after the meeting sued for peace with the aggrieved groups of the oil region and cautioned against the proposed declaration of Republic of Niger Delta on October 1, 2017, by one of the groups.

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But despite pleas by PANDEF to give the Federal Government more time to fulfil the demands of the region, the General Officer Commanding, REF, Tony Alagbakereowei, said in a statement that militants are resolved to actualise the Republic of the Niger Delta.

He said, “We reaffirm our collective resolve to actualise the Republic of the Niger Delta (RONDEL), which had been proclaimed in 1966 taking into cognisance the reality that there is nothing yet binding us as a people rather than the crude oil and gas in the Niger Delta.

“We call on the British Prime Minister, President Donald Trump of the United States and the United Nations, UN, to conduct a referendum for the peaceful dissolution of the Nigerian states into Arewa Islamic Republic, Biafra Republic, Oduduwa Republic, Republic of the Niger Delta,RONDEL, and the Republic of the Middle Belt to be collectively known and addressed as the United Republics of Nigeria based on the principles of non-exodus and non-violence.

“We strongly restate our commitment and dedication to this model as it is the irreducible minimum acceptable political requirement for the ethnic nationalities of the Niger Delta to remain in the Nigerian state. We consider this as the best option to avoid the impending humanitarian crisis of a full-blown Nigeria civil war and armed revolution which will be foisted upon the African ontinent and the world at large.”

 

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