Group seeks reintegration of Arepo militants

THE Conference of Nigeria Civil Right Activists (CNCRA)has reiterated the need for Nigerian government at all levels to device a means to eradicate the killings of oil vandals and security agents.

This was contained in a statement made available to The Guardian by the convener of CNCRA, Ifeanyi Odili, who decried the havoc caused by the pipeline vandals in Arepo along Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State.

According to Odili: “The killing of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable, thus; giving the CNCRA sleepless nights. It is of the view that killing of government agents and the militants are avoidable if Nigeria government will only listen to this call.”

He noted that the best approach to end all sorts of militancy in the area, which has turned the community to a conclave of terror and a siege of pipeline vandals, is dialogue.
“The militants should be invited by the Nigerian Senate with a view to finding an enduring solution to the ongoing vandalism,” he said, alleging a high- ranking connivance between the vandals and top security personnel to perpetrate such crimes.

“It is revealed that some security chiefs are also conniving with the militants. Arrests, shootings and killings occur only when there is misunderstanding between the two parties, that is the government security agents and the vandals.

“Since it is obvious that certain big men are conspiring with the militants, thereby making it difficult for the government to get to the root of this problem, it is therefore, advisable that government should device a means to have a dialogue with them on how to end the dastardly act.”

Odili, who told The Guardian that he carried out investigations on the malaise, disclosed that “the militants, according to information, are willing to lay down arms and embrace peace.

“It is regrettable that Nigeria is losing huge sum of money to this unpatriotic and ungodly act, which could be avoided,” Odili said, listing the economic hazards to the nation.

For the records, it was gathered that the oil vandals who are formenting trouble in Arepo are those Niger Delta militants that were not enlisted in the Presidential Amnesty Programme by the previous governments but relocated to Arepo and determined to cause unrest till they are integrated into the scheme.

“In view of the foregoing, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to uphold the legacy of the late Alhaji Musa Yar’Adua by elongating the live span of amnesty programme in Nigeria.”