Militants to Declare Niger Delta Republic Next Week

• Militants to Declare Niger Delta Republic Next Week

The network of Niger Delta Republic Fighters, a militant group, on Monday, threatened to declare Niger Delta Republic on June 1, 2019.

In the statement released by the group, the militants said they were not happy about the situation of things in the country, particularly how they were being treated by President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Director of Information of the group, Maxwell Dan, said President Buhari administration is maltreating the people from the region. He mentioned the invasion of Chief Edwin Clark by the police last year and the ongoing legal battle of ex-Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen.

The statement read, “It is quite unfortunate that the story has not changed till today, and we are standing on that declaration; we are standing on the declaration of the sovereign state of Niger Delta and we will declare Niger Delta Republic on June 1, 2019.

“It is a common fact that Nigeria has completely derailed from the path of peace, justice and progress as proclaimed by its founding fathers.”

It added, “As that could not pay off, they remove a Niger Delta son, Mr Mathew Seiyeifa, the most qualified Director of DSS without any due process. Not satisfied with his cruel and selective onslaught against the Niger Delta people, they plotted again and remove our son Justice Walter Onnoghen from office on frivolous allegations without following due process, neither was he given an opportunity of fair hearing.

“It is also unfortunate that after four years of this administration, there is no single viable project executed by the Federal Government in Niger Delta despite the billions of naira accrued to the government from the resources of the Niger Delta as a result of the ceasefire in the region.”

The group also decried killings in the country, lamenting government had not been able to protect its citizens.

It said, “The blood of innocent citizens is becoming alarming and it is clear that the government cannot protect the citizens, instead they continue to make unguarded statements without recourse to the safety of the people. It is a common fact the country is under siege and we cannot allow it to consume us.”