Nigerian local leader: militants might allow government time to meet demands

“The technology being deployed by the militants to destroy oil installations is high-tech, the way they can go on high sea and global waters and target oil installations is a national problem”.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the new militant group in the Niger Delta region, wants President Muhammadu Buhari to visit the region to physically experience the pains of the community “in the hands of the Nigerian government and the multinationals”.

The Nigeria Army has said it will investigate and track down those behind the recent speculation that some of its officers had approached the Niger Delta militants for support to carry out a coup against the government. Crude sales make up about 70 percent of Nigeria’s national income and most of that oil comes from the southern swampland.

In a statement yesterday, it claimed some top military officers had approached it to help overthrow the Buhari government by sustaining ongoing attacks on oil installations across the Niger Delta.

Mr. Udens Eradiri, who confirmed the development at the weekend said the Presidency contacted some of the elders and stakeholders to inform them of the meeting.

“Buhari is trying to visit Ogoniland, but he should sign his death warrant before coming to Port Harcourt or try to visit any state of the Niger Delta community, Biafra land”, a suspected NDA member had told IBT.

“The issue of truce or not depends on the seriousness of the federal government to address the issues at stake”, he said, citing fighting poverty and providing jobs as examples.

The group recently made futile threats to launch missile attacks against Aso Rock presidential villa and other key facilities in different parts of Nigeria.

Nigeria announced it pumped only 1.4 million barrels a day in May, compared to the nearly 2 million barrels per day it pumped in May of 2014, according to OPEC.

On the social unrest in the Niger Delta areas, the president frowned at the destructive activities of the militants and enjoined the party leaderships and other Nigerians to talk to them on the need to embrace peace.

The fall has also been responsible for pushing up global oil prices, which had plummeted earlier in the year. However, the government has cut the amnesty programme budget by two thirds, angering many former militants. Ex-militants were paid stipends and given employment training under the terms of the agreement.