Niger Delta Avengers, the new militant group in Nigeria that has been attacking oil and gas facilities, appears to be ready for a full scale war in the event that the Nigerian Government rolls out its full military arsenal.
In a statement on its website on Thursday, the Avengers posited that the Niger Delta region has nothing to lose should war breaks out, saying the people have suffered oppression and neglect over the years.
The statement titled: “Enough of this injustice,” was signed by Niger Delta Avengers spokesperson, Brigadier General Mudoch Agbinibo.
He enjoined western countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom and and France to prevail on the Nigerian Government to allow the region control its resources.
The group lamented that rather than doing what is right, Nigerian Government has deployed its military might to the region to sustain age-long oppression of the Niger Delta people.
According to the NDA, its ultimate mission is to achieve self-determination through peaceful means, calling on the international community to support their aspiration.
“We are calling on the international community to come and support the restoration of our right to peaceful self-determination from this tragedy of 1914 that has expired since 2014.
“We want our resources back to restore the essence of human life in our region for generations to come because Nigeria has failed to do that. The world should not wait until we go the Sudan ways. Enough is enough,” the group warned.
The unedited statement Mudoch Agbinibo, reads in full:
Since the day crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity and quality in Oloibiri, present day Bayelsa state, what we have being asking from successive governments in Nigeria is portable drinking water in the midst of plenty of water mass, electricity, roads, employment, quality education/educational facilities, resource control, participation in the oil business and inclusive governance that will engender substantial freedom.
The reserve have been the case, from Oloibiri, Brass LNLG and export terminals in Bayelsa; Bonny LNLG and export terminals in River state; ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom; Escravos EGTL/ Tankfarm and export terminals; Forcados Tankfarm and export terminals in Delta state operated respectively by Anglo-Dutch Shell, Chevron/Texaco Overseas, Agip ENI, ExxonMobil.
The history of the communal lives is terror of poverty, inhumanity and desolate living conditions. But when you move into these facilities operated by the Multinational Oil Corporations, they are living like Kings and Presidents.
For over five decades, we have given Multinational Oil Corporations and their collaborator the Nigerian State peace, cooperation and love for the crude oil to flow unhindered from our land. The continuous tranquility is only manifesting in the development of mountains, rock, valleys, deserts and lagoon but the Niger Delta territory continually alienated from all types of development and all essence of quality human life. Main while all successive governments worships the crude oil taken from the region. Our communities and the people are only good at securing the pipelines, oil and gas facilities. What a tragedy?
We are calling on the international community especially Britain, France, the United State of America, Russia, China and European Union to speak up against this ongoing terror and come to the aid of the Niger Delta, as witnesses to this grave inhumanity and history of terror perpetuated against the people of the Niger Delta daily. This history of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct with every means necessary. We have nothing to loose in the battles ahead; justice they say is only found within the structure of a nation state, rather than provide this justice the Nigerian government has decided to mobilise her military might to intimidate, torture, maim, victimise and bombard a section of the nation state and her citizenry to allow the free flow of our oil.
Some persons, groups, and commentators may ask, what do the people of Niger delta want? We are not like some of these personalities who run champagne parties or turn Rivers State Government House into a house patrimony of god-sons and prebendalism. They says the progress and success of a nation state is the reflection of her constitution that is not manufactured to favour some section and excludes the yearning and aspirations of others; but the indwelling spiritual and historical development of its people.
Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 to date, our resources have been used to sustain the political administrative live wire of Nigeria to the exclusion of the Niger delta.
Finally, we are calling on the international community, to come and support the restoration of our right to peaceful self-determination from this tragedy of 1914 that has expired since 2014. We want our resources back to restore the essence of human life in our region for generations to come because Nigeria has failed to do that. The world should not wait until we go the Sudan ways. Enough is enough
God Bless Niger Delta People.
Brig. Gen Mudoch Agbinibo
Spokesperson.
