NDA declares cease fire, ready to dialogue with FG

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) which has claimed responsibility for the wave of attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region has agreed on a ceasefire and dialogue with the federal government.
This is the first time the group will openly accept dialogue with the government since it began violent agitation in February this year.

Spokesman of the group, Brigadier Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, said in a statement yesterday that the decision to end hostilities came after a Niger Delta stakeholders’ conference to engage the federal government on issues affecting the region.
Participants after the meeting of the Niger Delta states held in Warri, Delta State on Friday jointly convened by elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark and Governor Ifeanyi  Okowa of Delta State issued a communiqué asking the group to stop blowing up oil pipelines.

“We are going to continue the observation of our unannounced cessation of hostilities in the Niger Delta against all interests of the multinational oil corporations, but we will continuously adopt our asymmetric warfare during this period if the Nigerian government and the ruling APC continues to use security agencies/agents, formations and politicians to arrest, intimidate, invade and harass innocent citizens, suspected NDA members and invade especially Ijaw communities,” the group said in the statement.
“We promise to fight more for the Niger Delta if this opportunity fails,” it added.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has advised the federal government to ignore the communiqué which was released at the end of the meeting led by Chief Edwin Clark.

MEND said it was against the communiqué because it failed to categorically condemn
the criminal and treasonable activities of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
“This was principally because the notable promoter of the meeting, Chief Edwin Clark, was recently named by the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) as a major supporter of the NDA,” it said.
MEND in the statement signed by Jomo Gbomo said  none of the persons who attended the meeting had the capacity to persuade the people of the Niger Delta to support the current efforts of the Buhari Administration to bring peace and development to the region.

“Consequently, MEND reiterates its full support for the ongoing military presence in the Niger Delta region, even as we prepare to tour the region to drum support for the current administration in an exercise code-named “Operation Moses”.
MEND shall continue to insist that so long as these elders and stakeholders do not categorically and publicly denounce the NDA, the federal government should also continue to ignore them,” the statement added.