Niger Delta Watchdogs to Northerners: Leave Niger Delta before Oct 1, return our oil blocks

A coalition group in the Niger Delta going under the aegis of Niger Delta Watchdogs has given all persons of the Northern extraction living in the Niger Delta up until October 1, this year, to quit the region. The group also demanded Northerners to return all the oil blocks belonging to the region under their control.

In a fiery press statement issued on Thursday, the Niger Delta Watchdogs stated: “As a follow up of our previous press release, a joint meeting between the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators and Youth Leaders across the Niger Delta region held today in Port Harcourt to review the state of Nigeria nation, the position of Niger Delta in Nigerian state, after hours of deliberation, we hereby resolved as follows: All Northerners living in Niger Delta has been given three (3) months notice to quit the Niger Delta before October 1, 2017.

The statement read: “We still stand by our previous decisions, and we demand immediate return of oil blocs owned by Northerners back to the Niger Delta people. All oil & gas companies operating in oil bloc(s)/well(s) illegally owned by Northerners should also vacate such oil blocs/wells/plat-forms before October 1, 2017. We demand immediate relocation of NNPC Headquarters to Niger Delta and replacement of the Group Managing Director of NNPC with an indigene of Niger Delta region. All offices/boards/agencies that have anything to do with oil & gas should be relocated immediately to Niger Delta region and all non-Niger Delta Directors/staff replaced with Niger Delta indigenes.

“We are not surprised by the actions of the Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Service and even the Army as they were all consulted and were fully aware of the threat by Northern Youths before it was issued, that is why they are incapable of making any arrest.

“We are fully prepared to declare the Sovereign Republic of Niger Delta come October 1, 2017 the day of freedom is near; we therefore call on all our compatriots to remain focused, united and steadfast as the battle is going to be brief but fierce, the liberation of our people and motherland is our target, we shall liberate our people from the slavery of Nigeria and the Northern parasites; we shall bring to our people a nation that shall guarantee equal opportunity, justice and shall respect the rule of law and uphold the sanctity of human life.

“We want to sound this as a warning to all the Northerners living in Niger Delta to quit our land before October 1, 2017 as this is not just a threat, after October 1, 2017 any Northerner found within the Republic of Niger Delta shall be seen as an intruder and shall be treated as such; we also use this opportunity to advise Oil & Gas companies in our territory to shut down further operations, PENGASSAN and NUPENG to warn/withdraw their members from Niger Delta before October 1, 2017 or risk their lives. Our next action will surprise you.

“We condemn in totality the meeting held by the Acting President with some Northern Elders and Youths, we see it as a grand conspiracy, any responsible government should have arrested those traitors, but rather turn round to meet with them and pleads for peace; do the Nigerian government see people from other zones as second class citizens? Why are they more important to the Acting President, why is it that Nigerian law is always week when it involves the Northerners? We are still watching the unfolding events with keen interest.

“If Nigeria should still remain one which we doubt, the federal government should immediately restructure the country, we demand 100 percent control of our resources, adequate infrastructure development, equal opportunity for all irrespective of ethnic background or political affiliation; adequate circulation of appointment across the geopolitical zones.

The press statement was jointly signed by General John Duku for Niger Delta Watchdogs; General Ekpo Ekpo for Niger Delta Volunteers; General Osarolor Nedam for Niger Delta Warriors; Major-Gen. Henry Okon Etete for Niger Delta Peoples Fighters; Major-Gen. Asukwo Henshaw for Bakassi Freedom Fighters; Major-Gen. Ibinabo Horsfall.