October 1: Militants Insist Hausas, Yorubas Must Leave Niger Delta

Niger Delta militants have insisted that Yorubas and Northerners residing in the region must vacate before Nigeria celebrates its 57th Anniversary

A Coalition of militants have warned Yorubas and Hausas residing in the Niger Delta to relocate from the oil-rich region before October 1.

This flows the quit notice by Arewa youths asking Igbos to vacate the North or face dire consequences.

However, Arewa youths have withdrawn the quit notice after claiming to have carried out consultations.

But the agitators insist that the Yorubas and Hausas must go.

They also condemned the call for the arrest of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement on Sunday, the militants insisted that the call for Kanu’s arrest was used to replace the withdrawal of the quit notice earlier issued to Igbo people living in the North.

Those who signed the statement include, John Duku of the Niger Delta Watchdogs and Convener of the Coalition; Ekpo Ekpo of the Niger Delta Volunteers; Osarolor Nedam of Niger Delta Warriors; and Henry Okon Etete of the Niger Delta Peoples Fighters.

Others are Asukwo Henshaw of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters; Ibinabo Horsfall of the Niger Delta Movement for Justice; Duke Emmanson of Niger Delta Fighters Network; Inibeghe Adams of Niger Delta Freedom Mandate and Ibinabo Tariah of the Niger Delta Development Network.

The statement reads in part, “It is our avowed determination to ensure that the Niger Delta remains focussed on our demands for a total overhaul of the basis of our unity. We have therefore resolved to stand by our previous demands as follows:

“That the northerners and Yoruba should leave the Niger Delta before October 1, 2017; return of all the oil blocs own by northerners and Yoruba to Niger Delta people. Relocation of the oil and gas companies headquarters to their operational base as well as relocation of NNPC headquarters, all other offices that has to do with oil and gas; replacement of the Group Managing Director of NNPC.

“We reaffirm our resolve for the declaration of the Niger Delta Republic on 1st October, 2017. We reaffirm our resolve to resume attack on all the oil blocs that are owned by the northerners and Yoruba in the Niger Delta from September 10, 2017.

“We hereby call on PENGASSAN, NUPENG and international communities to withdraw their members/expatriates from such oil wells/blocs as we shall not spare any person found in such platforms, including NNPC offices in Abuja and Lagos, oil companies’ headquarters outside the Niger Delta region.”