New militant group issues FG 2-week ultimatum

· Demands release of Kanu, Dasuki, and withdrawal of solders from Gbaramatu

 

Situation in the Niger Del­ta region may have wors­ened with the emergence of a new militant group, the Egbesu Mightier Fraternity.

The militant group which appears deadlier than the Ni­ger Delta Avengers, has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Fed­eral Government to address the agitations of all militant groups in the region or it would “total­ly ground” oil production in Ni­geria.

According to a mail sent to The AUTHORITY on Saturday by the group which also claimed responsibility for the bombing of oil and gas pipelines in the re­gion, “Niger Delta Avengers is only a branch for the struggles”.

The release signed by its spokesman, Agbaka Doctor, warned the Federal Govern­ment not to underestimate the capabilities of the militants, and threatened to bring Nigeria’s oil production to zero in the event their demands are not heeded within the deadline.

It said, “the silence in the re­gion is a legacy of former Pres­ident Umaru Musa Yar’Adua which should not be thrown away on the altar of vindictive­ness”.

Part of the demands by the group include: The immedi­ate withdrawal of soldiers from Gbaramatu kingdom, the im­mediate and unconditional pay­ment of compensation to victims of Bonga Oil Spill and Chev­ron gas explosion in Koluama, Bayelsa State, the unconditional release of the detained Director of Radio Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu as well as the immediate release of the detained former Nation­al Security Adviser, Dasuki Sam­bo (rtd).

The group warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to take it for granted as it would com­pletely cripple Nigeria’s econo­my if its demands were not met.

“The country will be grounded and let us see what the president will use to run the economy and we will accomplish the ultimatum”, it said.

The statement read in part: “We the Egbesu Mightier Fra­ternity are warning the Feder­al Government of Nigeria to release the Director of Radio Biafra and the former National Security Adviser, Colonel Sam­bo Dasuki (rtd) in the next two weeks without hesitation and unconditionally.

“The Federal Government is also directed to ask the military to leave Gbaramatu within the same period else we are going to shut down every oil and gas ac­tivity in the region”.

The group lambasted Buha­ri for flouting court orders on the release of Kanu and Dasu­ki, warning that unless the Pres­ident obeys the orders of the court concerning the duo, “Ni­geria will soon be history” as al­legedly predicted by the US.

“We are giving the Buha­ri administration the next two weeks to rescind its decision otherwise Nigeria will be histo­ry as predicted by America.

“Nigeria will collapse under the watch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari as we will do everything necessary to ac­tualize the American prediction.

“The continued detention and incarceration of the two ac­cused persons is humanly un­justifiable in the 1999 Consti­tution and therefore, the rule of law must be respected.

“President Muhammadu Buhari must not constitute him­self as a court of law but allow justice to prevail in the coun­try. Within this period, we will halt gas and oil operations in the country until they are released as directed by the courts.

“It is also extremely im­portant to note that the engine room of the national interest is the executive’s obedience to court orders and protection and preservation of the citizens’ con­stitutional liberties.

“Justification of executive disobedience to court orders as a protection of national interest is abominable. It is also a delib­erate ploy to bend the law and suspension of the 1999 consti­tution.

“The Federal Government’s disobedience to court decisions is one of the dimensions of cor­ruption and seen as gross abuse of office, contrary to section 15 (5) of the 1999 Constitution.

“Does President Muham­madu Buhari have any legal ca­pacity to declare anyone as a criminal instead of the courts? Disobedience to court orders is an act of executive rascality in the country.”

The group also warned against the persecution of former militant leader, Chief Govern­ment Ekpemupolo a.k.a Tompo­lo who has been declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged financial scam, ab­solving him of any blames in the charges slammed against him.

“The Federal Government approached Chief Tompolo for his land to be used as Maritime University and he passionate­ly sold his land to the govern­ment based on agreement. What is wrong with that? Is it a cime for someone to sell what belongs to him?

“Tompolo is not responsible for the bombing of oil and gas pipelines in the region and that we are responsible. Niger Del­ta Avengers is a branch for the struggle.”

EMF warned the Feder­al Government to tread with caution by ensuring that any­thing capable of provoking an­ger in the Niger Delta region is avoided “else every region shall maintain its own resources be­cause the money belongs to the people of the region and not the APC and Buhari government.”