A new militant group,the Ultimate Warriors of Niger Delta, UWND, has emerged in the oil-rich region southern Nigeria. The group announced its existence on Wednesday, June 8, 2016 presenting a string of demands to the Nigerian government.
The Ultimate Warriors threatened to continue vandalism in the Niger Delta if their demands are not met by the federal government. Among the UWND demands are that 60% of oil blocs should be owned by the Niger Delta region and the immediate commencement of operations in the Federal Maritime University
The new militant group which spoke for the very first time on Wednesday also demanded that the federal government allow the $16 billion export processing zone otherwise called Delta Gas City project begin operations in earnest.
The group, gave the government a two-week ultimatum to ensure that their demands were adequately met for a lasting ceasefire in the region.
Spokesperson of the Ultimate Warriors, as it chose to be addressed, Sibiri Taiowoh, in a statement said if the FG truly wants peace in the region, it should award 60 per cent oil bloc to indigenous people from the region as its primary demand for a ceasefire.
The Punch reports that UWND further asked for commencement of academic activities at Federal Maritime University established during the regime of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Warning further, it said failure to meet its demands, would warrant total shutting down of vital oil facilities including Chevron BOP, Okan Platform, MEREN Gas Gathering Compression Platform and Chevron Tank Farm.
The statement added, “We are also behind the recent pipeline bombing in the Niger Delta region and I can assure you we will not stop until the EPZ project and the Maritime University are totally completed and start operations.
“We want to be the ones to be safe guarding oil pipeline in our area so as to create more jobs for our people. We would resist any attempt to give surveillance contracts of pipeline in our backyard to foreigners. We want the pipeline jobs to be given to our indigenous people.”
Warning further, it said failure to meet its demands, would warrant total shutting down of vital oil facilities including Chevron BOP, Okan Platform, MEREN Gas Gathering Compression Platform and Chevron Tank Farm.
The statement added, “We are also behind the recent pipeline bombing in the Niger Delta region and I can assure you we will not stop until the EPZ project and the Maritime University are totally completed and start operations.
“We want to be the ones to be safe guarding oil pipeline in our area so as to create more jobs for our people. We would resist any attempt to give surveillance contracts of pipeline in our backyard to foreigners. We want the pipeline jobs to be given to our indigenous people.”
“We also want 60 per cent of the oil blocs to be allocated to the Niger Deltans just as the Federal Government has also allocated 80 per cent to those who are not from the oil producing area and just as 50 per cent of the resource was used to develop the non-oil area when we were producing cocoa and groundnut as main economic resources, the same 50 percent should be use to develop the Niger Delta region because we are the ones suffering the brunt of oil pollution and degradation in the region”, it further added.
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta Avengers have announced that they will not negotiate with the federal government.
The militant group also revealed that it blew up a crude oil pipeline belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL). Niger Delta Avengers made this known via their official Twitter handle. It was also confirmed by a source that the pipeline had been earlier attacked by militants using the same ‘modus operandi’.
In recent times, new militant groups have been emerging within the now embattled Niger Delta region. It would be recalled that about a fortnight ago, another militant group name the Red Egbesu Water Lions announced their emergence, vowing to team up with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in ensuring zero production of oil and gas in the region if the NDA’s demands are not met.
In a statement by its Creek Network Coordinator, “General” Torunanawei Latei, on Wednesday, the new militant group vowed to work with the Niger Delta Avengers and Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), to ensure that all their demands were met in the next seven days.
Among others, the group demanded the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, the IPOB leader and the discharge of former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki from prison custody.
It also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to defreeze the bank accounts of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
Hattip to Naij
