Militants blow up another pipeline; say Nigerian soldier scared to death, can’t swim
By Emma Amaize, Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi & Perez Brisibe, UGHELLI—
A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland
Justice Mandate, (NDGJM), in the early hours ofyesterday, blew up the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major delivery line to UPS/UQCC, operated by Nigerian
Petroleum Development Company, NDPC/Shorelines
Petroleum, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of
Delta State.
The attack, confirmed by a leader of the group, self-
styled Gen. Aldo Agbalaja, came as the Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, which ceased hostilities, last month,
accused the military of harassing elderly men, women
and innocent youths in the region under the guise of
hunting for militants.
Meanwhile, Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI,
has warned that the Federal Government’s plan to
continue to militarize the region and intimidate the
people despite the fact that NDA and other dangerous
militant groups had opted for dialogue, will not make
the region to forsake the Niger Delta struggle.
Also, acting Secretary of Gbaramatu Traditional
Council, GTC, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has
cautioned against the continued militarization of the
kingdom and other parts of the region, saying: “It is an
ill wind that blows the inhabitants of the Niger Delta
and the Federal Republic no good.”
We’re not fools —Militants
NDGJM, in a statement, said: “The Niger Delta is not a
conquered territory and our people have never
succumbed to intimidation before, rather we match
force with the oppressor’s brutality. The Nigerian
government should already know that the people of
these parts are not fools, who will not be able to see
when they are being treated with disdain.
“The high command of the Niger Delta Greenland
Justice Mandate, once again says to the deceptive and
untrustworthy Nigerian government and its cowardly
armed forces that our people shall not deal with you on
your terms, but on mutually agreed terms. Until you
drop this deceptive and master/servant poise, Operation
Crocodile Tears shall persist.
“As a mark of our decision to totally ground the
Nigerian oil economy, the gallant “OPUDO” strike
forces brought down the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major
delivery line in Ughelli North, leading to the UPS/UQCC
operated by NPDC/Shorelines at 1a.m., today
(yesterday).”
Yesterday’s attack came nine days after it warned
residents living around marked major oil and gas
facilities in the Niger Delta to vacate such areas and
threatened to detonate explosives at strategic points in
the region.
The militant group added: “Our patience is running out
on our people living close to major oil and gas facilities
in the upland areas of our region. The more critical
assets of the oil sector are still alive because we are
being careful not to hurt our people. For the last time,
leave these areas if you live around them and if you
love your lives.”
Why soldiers perished —NDA
Spokesperson of NDA, self-styled Brig-Gen Mudoch
Agbinibo, in series of picture tweets on his Twitter
handle, gave reasons for the death of personnel of the
Nigerian Army during the military’s Operation Crocodile
Smile in parts of the Niger Delta region.
NDA said: “They are scared to death because they
cannot swim, so they drown all the time. The Federal
Government is just killing innocent Nigerian soldiers.”
In a picture tweet showing four armed soldiers with a
paddler in a wooden boat, the group said: “With the
millions put into the Operation Crocodile Smile exercise,
see the dead boats given to them to fight militants.
“The only thing the soldiers are good at is harassment
of old men, women and innocent youths of the Niger
Delta.”
N-Delta won’t abandon struggle —IPDI
National President of IPDI, Austin Ozobo, in a
statement, said: “The military cannot intimidate Niger
Delta with Crocodile Smile , gun boats, fighter jets and
heavy deployment of military troops into abandoning
genuine struggle in the Niger Delta region.
“The continuous deployment of troops, fighter jets and
gun boats under the code-name Operation Crocodile
Smile, despite the ensuing truce by militants is meant to
intimidate Niger Delta people to abandon their demands
for their right of ownership of oil funds in the country,
but it will end up in fiasco as no amount of intimidation,
humiliation and harassment will stop the genuine
struggle in the region except drastic steps are taken to
address it.
“Buhari should stop forcing the Niger Delta to
continuously remain in a forced marriage. Nigeria does
not need a forced marriage because divorce will be the
answer to such union, no matter the delay. We can
never be deterred by the overwhelming security
presence in the Niger Delta to abandon the struggle for
true federalism and restructuring.”
Constitute dialogue team
Ibe-Benemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief
Gbenekama, who commended the Federal Government
for releasing the Oporoza 10, last week, urged it to
reduce the military presence in the communities
because it was an ill wind that blows the inhabitants of
the Niger Delta and the Federal Republic no good.
“The military should please return all those artefacts
that were taken, including the boats of the Gbaramatu
Traditional Council and other things that were illegally
taken from our communities,” he said.
Gbenekama urged the Federal Government to “key into
the initiative of the Niger Delta people and constitute a
team to discuss the issues that are causing
disaffection in the region so that we can have lasting
peace.”
By Emma Amaize, Festus Ahon, Egufe Yafugborhi & Perez Brisibe, UGHELLI—
A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland
Justice Mandate, (NDGJM), in the early hours ofyesterday, blew up the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major delivery line to UPS/UQCC, operated by Nigerian
Petroleum Development Company, NDPC/Shorelines
Petroleum, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of
Delta State.
The attack, confirmed by a leader of the group, self-
styled Gen. Aldo Agbalaja, came as the Niger Delta
Avengers, NDA, which ceased hostilities, last month,
accused the military of harassing elderly men, women
and innocent youths in the region under the guise of
hunting for militants.
Meanwhile, Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI,
has warned that the Federal Government’s plan to
continue to militarize the region and intimidate the
people despite the fact that NDA and other dangerous
militant groups had opted for dialogue, will not make
the region to forsake the Niger Delta struggle.
Also, acting Secretary of Gbaramatu Traditional
Council, GTC, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has
cautioned against the continued militarization of the
kingdom and other parts of the region, saying: “It is an
ill wind that blows the inhabitants of the Niger Delta
and the Federal Republic no good.”
We’re not fools —Militants
NDGJM, in a statement, said: “The Niger Delta is not a
conquered territory and our people have never
succumbed to intimidation before, rather we match
force with the oppressor’s brutality. The Nigerian
government should already know that the people of
these parts are not fools, who will not be able to see
when they are being treated with disdain.
“The high command of the Niger Delta Greenland
Justice Mandate, once again says to the deceptive and
untrustworthy Nigerian government and its cowardly
armed forces that our people shall not deal with you on
your terms, but on mutually agreed terms. Until you
drop this deceptive and master/servant poise, Operation
Crocodile Tears shall persist.
“As a mark of our decision to totally ground the
Nigerian oil economy, the gallant “OPUDO” strike
forces brought down the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major
delivery line in Ughelli North, leading to the UPS/UQCC
operated by NPDC/Shorelines at 1a.m., today
Yesterday’s attack came nine days after it warned
residents living around marked major oil and gas
facilities in the Niger Delta to vacate such areas and
threatened to detonate explosives at strategic points in
the region.
The militant group added: “Our patience is running out
on our people living close to major oil and gas facilities
in the upland areas of our region. The more critical
assets of the oil sector are still alive because we are
being careful not to hurt our people. For the last time,
leave these areas if you live around them and if you
love your lives.”
Why soldiers perished —NDA
Spokesperson of NDA, self-styled Brig-Gen Mudoch
Agbinibo, in series of picture tweets on his Twitter
handle, gave reasons for the death of personnel of the
Nigerian Army during the military’s Operation Crocodile
Smile in parts of the Niger Delta region.
NDA said: “They are scared to death because they
cannot swim, so they drown all the time. The Federal
Government is just killing innocent Nigerian soldiers.”
In a picture tweet showing four armed soldiers with a
paddler in a wooden boat, the group said: “With the
millions put into the Operation Crocodile Smile exercise,
see the dead boats given to them to fight militants.
“The only thing the soldiers are good at is harassment
of old men, women and innocent youths of the Niger
Delta.”
N-Delta won’t abandon struggle —IPDI
National President of IPDI, Austin Ozobo, in a
statement, said: “The military cannot intimidate Niger
Delta with Crocodile Smile , gun boats, fighter jets and
heavy deployment of military troops into abandoning
genuine struggle in the Niger Delta region.
“The continuous deployment of troops, fighter jets and
gun boats under the code-name Operation Crocodile
Smile, despite the ensuing truce by militants is meant to
intimidate Niger Delta people to abandon their demands
for their right of ownership of oil funds in the country,
but it will end up in fiasco as no amount of intimidation,
humiliation and harassment will stop the genuine
struggle in the region except drastic steps are taken to
address it.
“Buhari should stop forcing the Niger Delta to
continuously remain in a forced marriage. Nigeria does
not need a forced marriage because divorce will be the
answer to such union, no matter the delay. We can
never be deterred by the overwhelming security
presence in the Niger Delta to abandon the struggle for
true federalism and restructuring.”
Constitute dialogue team
Ibe-Benemowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief
Gbenekama, who commended the Federal Government
for releasing the Oporoza 10, last week, urged it to
reduce the military presence in the communities
because it was an ill wind that blows the inhabitants of
the Niger Delta and the Federal Republic no good.
“The military should please return all those artefacts
that were taken, including the boats of the Gbaramatu
Traditional Council and other things that were illegally
taken from our communities,” he said.
Gbenekama urged the Federal Government to “key into
the initiative of the Niger Delta people and constitute a
team to discuss the issues that are causing
disaffection in the region so that we can have lasting
peace.”
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