Avengers cautions Buhari against sycophancy, threatens action

•‘No deadline for region’s development’
• Five vandals held, oil leaks in Bayelsa

Militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, yesterday cautioned President Muhammadu Buhari against dealing with those it described as “sycophants” in the quest for peace in the oil-rich region.

In a statement by its spokesman, Mudoch Agbimbo,The group threatened more destruction of oil pipelines, just as it chided the President for allegedly deploying some “sycophantic” cabinet members to negotiate with them.

Challenging Buhari to visit the region, rather than relying on information from his aides and political friends, the group stated: “You cannot treat Niger Delta with disdain while you treat your brothers that are terrorists and kidnappers (Boko Haram) like kings and queens by committing the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement from Geneva to witness your transaction with them before they released their hostages to you”.

It charged the President to lead government’s team in its quest for dialogue with “neutral” foreign observers and representatives of international oil companies as the only way to broker the truce.

“We are disposed to dialogue, but we want Mr. President to come down and negotiate with us rather than using his political aides who are “sycophants.”

In the meantime, president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Boma Obuoforibo, has said government would not be given a time frame to develop the region. He said stakeholders were optimistic that the President would not renege on his promise.

“We are not going to be negative about the ability of the Federal Government to implement the demands because we have a positive mindset and we have never reached this length in the past. We are doing all this in good faith,” he stressed.

Also yesterday, officials of the Nigeria Civil Defence and Security Corps (NCDSC) arrested five persons in a Bayelsa community, hours after they allegedly vandalised a pipeline belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Taylor creek.

According to the state commandant, Desmond Agu, the anti-vandal team of the corps also intercepted a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) used by vandals to transport illegally-refined petroleum products.

The development came as the Tebidaba-Ogboinbiri crude line operated by same oil firm discharged massive content into the surrounding environment.

This wad disclosed in a field report by the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN).According to the document, officials of NAOC had commenced evacuation of spilled crude from Ikienghenbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Council of the state.