FG Inaugurates Committee to Negotiate with N’Delta Avengers | Another Group Threatens to Strike Aso Rock, NASS, Others

The Federal Government on Monday night announced that it has set up a committee to negotiate with the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), that has been involved in the destruction of oil installations in the Niger Delta region, PUNCH reports.

This was made known by the Minster of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu in Abuja on Monday.

“The President has appointed a team led by the NSA and I serve in one of those, to begin the process of a very intensive dialogue with those caught in the middle of this. I am sure that in the ensuing one week the intensity of that dialogue will wrap up.

The NSA is going to be working with the various arms of the armed forces to descale the intensity of military intervention in the area within a week or two so that dialogue can take place. We are making contacts with everybody who is involved, the ones that we can identify, through them, the ones that we can’t identify so that there is a lot more inclusiveness in this dialogue. Our prayer is that this works so that we resort to dialogue rather than use of force,” kachikwu said.

According to Kachikwu, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru as well as selected leaders, kings and influential individuals from the Niger Delta. as well as selected leaders, kings and influential individuals from the Niger Delta were also part of the team.

Meanwhile, militants under the aegis of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) on Monday vowed to strike some selected national formations, including Aso Villa, the National Assembly and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

A statement issued on behalf of the group by its “Commander General Duties” General Akotebe Darikoro also said that they will attack Defence Headquarters, the Directorate of State Security  (DSS) Headquarters, Police Headquarters, NNPC Towers, Supreme Court/Appeal Court and Agip Headquarters, Abuja, Shell Headquarters, Lagos, Chevron Headquarters, Lagos, Exxon Mobil, Lagos, NLNG, Lagos and Abuja offices, Kaduna refinery and all military formations in the country.

Recall that the group had last week threatened to launch six missiles by today.

“In our final meeting, it was resolved that the Nigerian communication satellite orbit should be shut down so that it will avoid the cause of electronic radiation to human lives.

We shall fire these missiles simultaneously at the night, as this will enable every Nigerian to see the movement of the missiles and equally to believe us of our seriousness on the final breakup as predicted by the United States of America (USA),” they said.

Photo Credit: PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images