A
group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, claiming to be a breakaway faction
of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, emerged, yesterday, backed out of the
continued attacks on pipelines by the principal organization, threatening to
expose the identities of NDA fighters and their sponsors if the militant group
do not cease hostilities. AvengersThe new group in a statement by Cynthia
Whyte, last night, said: “Permit us to begin by introducing the Reformed Niger
Delta Avengers (RNDA), a breakaway faction of the Niger Delta Avengers.”
Saturday Vanguard sent an electronic mail to NDA yesterday evening for its
response, but at 8.35 pm, it had not responded. A privileged source, who
preferred anonymity, hinted: “I don’t think it is true, the Niger Delta
Avengers we know cannot chicken out of the struggle, I think some people have
been paid to cause confusion and derail their struggle.” RNDA, however, said:
“A majority of us in consideration of the recent personal appeal by His
Excellency, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the peace efforts and
initiative of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and
the feeling of guilt over the damage being effected on our environment. “And at
the same time, the government of President Buhari has exhibited political will
and backing words with action to clean up the environment, we have decided to
join the MEND Aaron Team 2 peace initiative through the clearing house of Niger
Delta Dialogue and Contact Group (NDDCG) headed by HRH King Alfred
Diette-Spiff,” the group said. It asserted: “ We will also cooperate with the government
by exposing the identities of our comrades, who remain stubborn in their
insistence to continue attacks. For example, it will shock the nation to know
the Jekyll and Hyde personality behind the pseudonym ‘Brigadier General Murdoch
Agbinibo’ and our sponsors.” “It added: “We also use this opportunity to call
on the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to take advantage of the olive branch
concession secured by MEND and renounce the Biafra question which is an
anachronism. “Those advising Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to do otherwise neither love him
nor appreciate the level of treason this simple act of common sense and
humility can extricate him from,” the new group pointed out. It stated: “ The
Niger Delta will no longer be your proxy war to achieve your ambition. To our
comrades in the NDA, we urge you to stop being defiant and embrace peace and
the wise counsel we all received from former President Jonathan.” Meanwhile,
the Ijaw Human Rights Monitors, IJHR, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to
liaise with former President Goodluck Jonathan to help him in resolving the
Niger Delta logjam. Coordinator of the group, Fred Brisibe, in a statement,
said: “We noticed from the body language of former President Goodluck Jonathan
after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari that there are flickers of
light at the end of the tunnel for the bleak situation of uncertainty around
the agitation for restructuring.” “However, this hope may fizzle out too soon
if certain ugly trends are not arrested without delay. Truth is, certain
characters who are members of the so-called Niger Delta Contact and Dialogue
Team are on a mission to thwart the peace initiative. “They frolic daily with
the fraudulent MEND and use the opportunity of their membership of the
committee to extort money from unsuspecting government officials for self
enrichment. This is adversely affecting the peace process and may completely
frustrate the dialogue,” he said. The group asserted: “It is important,
therefore, that for any meaningful and pragmatic solution to emerge, President
Muhammadu Buhari should liaise with Goodluck Jonathan to get a proper team of
delegates from the region to dialogue with.” “We wish to use the opportunity to
call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the DSS to
arrest and prosecute anyone who is involved in this syndicate,” it added
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