Nigeria may witness a resurgence of militant activities as a militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, has threatened to cripple the nation’s economy if President Muhammadu Buhari wins his way back to the office.
This, the group plans to carry out by bringing to a stop the flow of crude oil, which is Nigeria’s main economic stake from the Niger Delta.
It is of note, that the militants were behind the wave of oil production disruption that forced the country into the economic recession of 2016. An act, which the militants justify with the assumed negligence of the Federal Government in the Niger Delta regions, where the nation’s wealth mainly flows from.
The Avengers, in a statement on Thursday described this as the “continuous criminal exploitation and exploration of our natural resources that engender the underdevelopment of the Niger Delta.”
Again, in the statement, the Avengers threw their weight behind Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the main opponent of President Buhari.
“We are adopting Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the sole candidate to be voted for by all the people of the Niger Delta as a result of his political ideology, which is in tandem with our agitation for equitable and fair principles of federalism.
“The high command is convinced that when elected come February 16Th, 2019, the government of Alhaji ( Dr) Atiku Abubakar will not only restructure Nigeria, but will reverse the inimical ownership rights to natural resources alongside promises that falls within the basis upon which we declared” Operations Red Economy.
“We are in charge of the struggle now and our strike teams are active and gallantly waiting to receive instructions from the High Command to cripple the Nigerian economy again if Buhari is rigged back to office; and this time it will be a perpetual recession for Nigeria as we shall not relent until oil stops to flow in the pipes that brace our feet in our land,” the Niger Delta Avengers said.