Militants leaders meet FG to outline conditions for peace

dimeji akinloye

August 25, 2016 6:41 PM

However, it was gathered that there are ongoing high-level talks to resolve the differences between the MEND and the Niger Delta Avengers.

Niger Delta traditional rulers, FG meet to outline conditions for peace

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This is coming days after the Niger Delta Avengers, the group responsible for the major attacks on oil installation for the past seven months, announced a ceasefire.

Other militant groups in the region have since followed the same path - laying down their arms.

According to a statement, which was reportedly read at the headquarters of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Abuja by the Bolowei of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Wellington Okirika, the traditional rulers listed six things the Federal Government should do in order to build confidence and stop the destruction of the country’s oil assets by militants in the region.

They were quoted as saying: "Having acceded to the call for a ceasefire by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on August 4, 2016, the buck has now been passed to the table of the Federal Government as driven by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources – a representative of the Federal Government.

“For the purposes of building confidence in the system, we wish to state here that as a matter of urgency the Federal Government should appoint/constitute a Federal Government dialogue team; release the 10 innocent school children arrested by the Nigerian Army on the 28th of May, 2016 in Oporoza and others in detention on trumped up charges.

“Return the Golden Sword, being the symbol of authority in the Gbaramatu traditional institution; return the three traditional council speed boats in custody of the Nigerian Army; cessation of hostilities perpetrated by the military in the Niger Delta region; and equally important, the Federal Government should make a categorical statement about the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko Delta State for academic activities in the 2016/2017 session."

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However, it was gathered that there are ongoing high-level talks to resolve the differences between the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA); and on the other hand, between MEND and the pan-Niger Delta group recently set up in Warri, to speak with one voice for the region.

MEND had vowed to pull out of the peace talks with the Federal Government if it negotiates with the NDA team headed by Edwin Clark separately.

dimeji akinloye