Long Road to Peace
The Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, whose plan is to cut off the region from the Federal Republic of Nigeria owing to failure to meet their demands may have suspended their deadly attack on oil installations and other facilities owing to division in the group and pleas from Elders and Stakeholders who met last month in Effurun- Warri, Delta state
By Ovie Edomi
A number of meetings were held earlier in the deep mangrove forests located in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa states where the commanders agreed to listen to former militants who had taken the bull by the horns, by engaging the Federal Government in a dialogue. Some days later another meeting was held by the top Commanders of the Niger Delta Avengers where they further analysed how some sleeper agents are working with top officials of government and security agents to take the war to the creeks by identifying the various possible hideouts of militants in the thick mangrove forest.
Sources in coastal areas noted that some of the militants felt bad that the government wants to use their own people against them. Consequently, the militants who seemed to understand what the Federal Government wants to achieve, decided to reconsider their stands, a development that saw the emergence of a new group called Reformed Niger Delta Avengers. As a way to express their support for the Federal Government, the new NDA group recently released names of some persons who they listed as sponsors of the NDA.
Meanwhile, the original NDA says that they will go ahead to continue with the struggle. The naming of some prominent citizens as sponsors of the Niger Delta Avengers according to sources is seen as a plot by the split away group to put a stop to the violence in the Niger Delta region. Even then, this has not gone down well with some persons in the Niger Delta struggle.
For instance while the NDA are preparing for a show down unless their demands are met, the promoters of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, are on the other hand, in high spirit having secured the understanding of the state governors in the Niger Delta as well as the Federal Government to get the Avengers to a ceasefire and bring them to the negotiation table. Expectedly, the NDA which has said through its spokesperson that they are not aware of any peace talk with the Federal Government bombed a Chevron crude oil pipeline in Dibi oil field, located 20 metres from Dibi flow station in Warri North local Government area. Shortly after the Avengers stated in its twitter handle that they are not aware of any negotiation with any committee and that if the Federal Government is discussing with any group, they are doing so on their own.
Even then, the Federal Government, it is believed engaged MEND in a dialogue through the oil companies and security agencies as a way of finding solution to the bombings in the Niger Delta. It is believed that the MEND delegate which is code-named MEND Aaron team 2. But sources say that MEND has surrender the dialogue and leadership process to the Niger Delta leaders who met recently in Effurun, Warri, Delta State
Already sources in the coastal area say that troops have been deployed into strategic places in the Niger Delta to prepare for a showdown with the militants should the Avengers especially the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Movement, NDGJM, an Urhobo militant group fail to listen to plea from the elders and former militant leaders. This much was also stated recently during a visit to Bayelsa State by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, when he said