Police Discover Thousands Of Bullets Buried In Anambra Community [PHOTOS]

Fear gripped the people of Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State on Tuesday as a cache of bullets buried underground was uncovered while the foundation of a building project for a community member was being dug.

The bullets were buried on a piece of land in the area with members of the community denying knowledge of how the bullets got there.

Sam Okaula, the state Commissioner of Police, CP, briefing newsmen at the site where the bullets were buried, said several buckets of bullets have been unearthed and that there were still some left which were yet to be brought to the surface.

“The bullets were discovered while the foundation of a building project for a community member was being dug.

“Investigations is ongoing to find out the purpose the bullets were acquired, when the bullets were acquired and who bought and buried the bullets.

“A full investigation will be carried out and we will be able to establish the purpose why they have been found in the area,” Okaula added.

See more pictures below:

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We Will Reveal More Sordid Details If Jonathan Provokes Us Again – Splinter Group, RNDA Threatens

The alleged splinter group of the Niger Delta Avengers, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte has insisted former President, Goodluck Jonathan is the grand patron of the Niger Delta Avengers, threatening to reveal more details if he continues to deny it.

The statement reads in full…

”To cut a long story short, NDA was formed to counter MEND but failed. The statement, however, said that the RNDA is not surprised that the alleged grand patron of the NDA, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has distanced himself from the NDA.

”It therefore did not come to the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA) as a surprise that the Grand Patron of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has distanced himself from the NDA.

”Like every sponsor, sympathizer and operative earlier mentioned who has equally denied links with the Avengers, we can understand the wisdom behind their decision; as their participation was always meant to be covert.

”After a clandestine meeting in Otuoke, Bayelsa state in 2014 between the Grand Patron and several unidentified persons ahead of the Presidential election campaign of 2015, it was agreed that the Okah brothers should be contacted to reach out to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to endorse former President Goodluck Jonathan, and work with the group of persons to ensure victory for the PDP and President Jonathan.

”At the time, because MEND was the suggested tool, the NDA as a body was not yet formed.

”Mr Kingsley Kuku and Mr. Gordon Obuah, SA on Niger Delta and Chief Security Officer to President Jonathan, respectively were selected to visit Charles

Okah in Kuje prison. Mr Daniel Alabrah was given the assignment to draft an endorsement statement for Charles Okah to go through and pass on to MEND.

”The duo reported back that they had visited Okah in Kuje prison at night with the promise of his release along with others should he cooperate to get MEND to endorse Jonathan.

”It therefore came as a shock when MEND did the opposite and endorsed Buhari. Mr. Jonathan was livid with anger and swore that the Okah’s would rot in prison.

”It was also agreed that a show of force be put up in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where ex-militants led by Government Ekpemupolo and Kingsley Kuku would threaten war should the electorate vote in Buhari’s favour.

”It was around that period the idea of forming the Niger Delta
Avengers was conceived. In fact the name “Avengers” came from the lips of Goodluck Jonathan.

”As election day approached, certain stakeholders were mobilized to form a force to standby and ensure total anarchy in the South-South and South-East within 24 hours if the election results were not favourable to Jonathan. It took everyone by surprise to learn that Mr Jonathan had conceded defeat even before the final results were released. The standby force who were to attack specific targets were told to stand down. They were all compensated in US dollars cash.

”The Niger Delta Avengers was born from the failure at the polls and would now be used as an organ to make the Buhari government ungovernable, bring economic hardship and cause hatred for the administration towards failure at the 2019 general elections.

”MEND was aware of this plot through a spy that could not be identified, and the group began its campaign to counter every effort of the NDA and the Biafra agitators to this day. MEND has been a thorn in the flesh because MEND’s successful propaganda has caused the split in our ranks today.

”If former President Jonathan provokes us further with denials of this revelation, we will reveal more sordid details. The prison authorities in Kuje who witnessed the closed door meeting from the outside can attest to that night visit of November 2014.”

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Why I Was At Aso Rock To Meet With Buhari – Akwa Ibom Governor, Emmanuel

Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, speaking with State House Correspondents after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, said he was there to brief the President on the security situation in Akwa Ibom state.

The governor stressed that the President is father to all irrespective of party affiliations.

“I am still serving a state and the state is within the country and the president is the father of the whole country. I think it is part of my responsibility to let the president know from time to time how things are being done and how we are faring. We discussed some issues bothering on security,” he said.

When asked if he had any request to make of the president, Emmanuel said, “Not really a request, but feedback. At times, feedback could be even very effective than request. Because feedback is necessary for further actions and the rest of things you want to do.”

He continued that, “We are all running one project which is project Nigeria adding that if we are running project Nigeria, all hands must be a deck to move the country to the level we all expect and dream of and that is the essence of the whole thing.”

On the restiveness in the Niger Delta, he said, “Well, I don’t know whether you want me to redefine that word restiveness, but permit me to also say, you are still pushing me to discuss security which we don’t discuss on camera. Spare me that today, but rather than calling it restiveness, I will say everything we discussed is about the wellbeing of Nigerians.”

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Jonathan Using Avengers To Make Nigeria Ungovernable For Buhari — MEND

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, in a statement signed by Jomo Gbomo has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan is a grand patron of new militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers.

The full text of the statement obtained by Sahara Reporters reads:
“MEND cannot hold brief for the RNDA, which pointedly accused Mr. Jonathan of complicity in fueling the ongoing Niger Delta crisis and patronising the NDA, apparently for political reasons.

“We are, however, quick to point out the fact that the RNDA has merely vindicated MEND’s belief and conviction that the former President and his cronies, who lost the 2015 presidential election, were using the illegal and treasonable NDA platform to destabilise President Buhari’s government.

“Indeed, the problem in the Niger Delta today has nothing to do with the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. Far from it! The problem is simply the failure of Mr. Jonathan to address the root issues confronting the region when he was at the helms of affairs.

”Even though he was from the impoverished region and had, by his own admission in numerous electioneering campaigns, experienced the utter poverty and abject neglect of the region foisted by successive Nigerian governments and the international oil companies since the discovery of oil in 1958 at Oloibiri (a few metres away from his native Otuoke) in Bayelsa State, Mr. Jonathan disappointingly frittered away the opportunity to rescue his people when the Nigerian Presidency fortuitously landed on his laps, virtually on a platter of gold.

“For six whole years, Mr. Jonathan was busy drinking, making merry and generally chasing shadows at the State House. Such a fellow deserves to be ostracised from the assembly of reasonable men; because the Nigerian Presidency might never come back to the Niger Delta region as cheap as it came to Mr. Jonathan; perhaps, in the next 100 years.

“Lest we forget, MEND was at the forefront of the armed struggle back in 2006/2007 which forced the then Government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to consider the option of drafting an Ijaw into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. That was how the perpetually timid and naïve Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became Vice-President and later, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. When he assumed the reins as President, he did the unthinkable; he tracked down perceived MEND leaders and promptly got them imprisoned on a trumped-up charge of attempt to assassinate him.

“Up until today, Mr. Jonathan is still suffering from an assassination paranoia complex.”

The group added that a substantial portion of Jonathan’s statement, “unfortunately, dwelt on judicial matters which are pending in various courts in Nigeria and South Africa.”

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Femi Fani-Kayode: Niger Delta Crusaders, Muslim Pilgrims And United States of Nigeria [Part 1]

By Femi Fani-Kayode

“If Boko Haram kills Christians and burns down churches, we will slay Muslims and raze down mosques. We want to warn them that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st century will not accept the killing of innocent Christians or the burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta”- NIGER DELTA REVOLUTIONARY CRUSADERS, VANGUARD NEWSPAPER, 5th AUGUST, 2016.

It is no longer news that the new leader of Boko Haram, Mr. Abu Musa Al Barnawi, who apparently has the backing of ISIS, has said that he will target only Christians and burn down all the Churches in the country. He has also said that Muslims and mosques will no longer be targeted and that Mr. Abubakar Shekau, the erstwhile leader and principal voice of the terror group, is no longer the leader.

Mr. Shekau has responded by saying that he will continue to slaughter whoever he pleases and that he remains the authentic leader. There appears to be a very serious rift in the ranks of Boko Haram which is good news. As far as I am concerned the two factions can do us all a favour by destroying one another and burning in hell.

Anyone that targets Christians and Churches, or indeed any innocent civilians for slaughter, is not worthy of life. They are nothing but vermin and, like the cockroaches that they are, they must be crushed.

Mr. Shekau is evil but Mr. Al Barnawi is even worse: he is the devil incarnate. He represents ISIS and we all know what that means. Whichever way we look at it and whatever is going on within the ranks of Boko Haram we must not loose sight of the bigger picture. And that bigger picture points to one thing: Nigeria is in a mess.

Quite apart from the poverty and hardship that has afflicted the land coupled with the total destruction of the economy and quite apart from the shattering of peoples dreams and the drastic reduction in their standard of living by the ineffectual and barren fiscal and economic policies of an inept and incompetent government, our President did not stop there.

He also went as far as to appoint as his Minister of Sports a man who is clearly (to use Donald Trump’s words about Hilary Clinton) “unbalanced and unhinged”.​ This is a man that can barely speak English and who, during the week of the Olympics, publicly referred to our country as “the United States Of Nigeria” whilst reprimanding our Olympic football team for getting stuck in America and arriving late in Brazil.

Someone should tell Honorable Minister Solomon Dalung that it was HIS job to get our boys to Rio De Janeiro on time and that it was something of a scandal and a national embarrassment that it took the last minute intervention and assistance of Delta Air, a private American airline, to get them there in time for their match with Japan.

Whilst our boys did us proud by going on to defeat Japan and later Sweden, the video of the Minister disparaging them and spouting nonsense about some fictitious and imaginary country called ‘the United States of Nigeria’ whilst wearing his ridiculous red beret went viral on the internet. A fool goes by no other name.

In normal climes the Minister would have been forced to resign the following day and he would have been compelled to apologise to the nation that he is purportedly serving for forgetting its name. Sadly though there is nothing that is “normal” about Nigeria or the Buhari administration.

Equally abysmal was the recent outing of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, President Buhari’s “super Minister” of Power, Works and Housing, on BBC TV’s Hardtalk. Before millions of viewers from all over the world, the Minister told his host Mr. Stephen Sackhur a shameless and pernicious lie by claiming that he never promised Nigerians an increase in power generation and supply.

It is his inability to be forthright, to appreciate the virtues of telling the truth and to keep his election promises that has earned my aburo Tunde Fashola the nickname of Minister of Darkness.

Since he was appointed ‘super Minister’ the power generation in our country has dropped from 5000 megawatts at the time when President Jonathan left office just over a year ago to under 2000 megawatts today. Worst still he has not managed to construct or complete the refurbishment of a single road.

Yet it is not the crippled economy, the erring and dim-witted Minister of Sports, the intellectually dishonest and lying Minister of Power, Works and Housing or any of the other numerous foibles of the Buhari administration that gives us the most concern today.

It is rather the gradual and systematic generation and invocation of a frightful and cataclysmic atmosphere of war and the looming threat and increasing likelihood of a great and violent ethnic and religious conflict, the likes of which Africa has never seen before.

If it is not Boko Haram that is slaughtering our people it is the Fulani herdsmen. Worse still they are doing these despicable things with the active connivance and support of a few people that are in the corridors of power today whose objective is to islamise our nation, plunge us into a fiery abyss and create chaos.
The bible says ‘there is no fellowship between light and darkness’. We have said it before and we will say it again: we must restructure Nigeria before it is too late. If we fail to do so we will have no choice but to reconsider our so-called unity.

If things don’t change quickly we must consider the possibility of dividing our country and renegotiating our union. We cannnot afford to wait any longer because we are playing with fire and we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. We must attempt to do whatever needs to be done peacefully and we must not allow the butchers and those that kill in the name of their god to provoke us into another civil war.

Nothing represents the danger of the war that is looming more than the response of the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (an affiliate of the Niger Delta Avengers) to Al Barnawi’s threat. They responded by saying that if Christians and Churches are targeted by Boko Haram they will kill all the Muslims in the Niger Delta area and they will burn down all the mosques. It is a simple case of “action” and “reaction” and I sincerely hope that those that are used to killing others and not being killed themselves take them seriously.

Clearly we are living in dangerous times and I sincerely hope that those that brought religion into our politics in 2015 and that used Islam and the Boko Haram offensive as a political tool against a southern Christian President are seeing the fruits of their labour.

When you invoke the proverbial genie and let it out of the kettle you must be prepared to live with the consequences and whatever follows. Yet the folly does not stop there. As if our sensibilities were not already sufficiently provoked President Buhari took the religious dance to yet another level last week by directing the Central Bank of Nigeria to sell foreign exchange to Muslim pilgrims that were on their way to Saudi Arabia for hajj at 197 naira to 1 USD.

This whilst everyone else, including students, manufacturers, businessmen, Christian pilgrims, the ailing and holiday-makers, must continue to buy at 400 naira to 1 USD. When the math is done this amounts to a whooping N7.9 billion naira concession for Muslim pilgrims.

And all this in a country that is not only impoverished and whose people are suffering from the worst economic hardship and poverty crunch since independence but also one that is meant to be a secular state. Such is the national outrage that President Buhari’s forex concession to his Muslim brothers and sisters has provoked that a well-known political commentator and activist Mr. Paul Achalla wrote the following on his Facebook wall on August 5th:

“N410 to $1 for business, education, entrepreneurship, food processing, manufacturing, etc. and N197 to $1 for pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia? Bluntly put, Boko Haram ideology won Nigeria’s 2015 general election!!!”

Paul Achalla is right. How can this sort of nonsense be justified in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious secular state? Is Buhari’s Nigeria crafted only for the Muslim north? Is Saudi Arabia now the spiritual headquarters of our nation? If it is not the Sultan of Sokoto declaring public holidays, it is the President giving subsidised rates of foreign exchange and preferential treatment to members of his own religious faith.

If it is not that he is leading our country into a sinister and dangerous military coalition of Sunni Muslim nations it is that he is holding conferences in Abuja with foreign Muslim clerics whose stated objective is to “spread sharia throughout Nigeria” and islamise our country.

Worst still virtually all his Service Chiefs and principal commanders in his Armed Forces together with his National Security Advisor, his Minister of Defence, his Minister of Internal Affairs, his Inspector General of Police, his Chief of Defence Intelligence, his Director General of State Security, his Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, his Commander of the National Civil Defence Corps, his Comptroller General of Customs, his Comptroller General of Immigration, his Comptroller General of Prisons and ALL his other security, para-security and intelligence agencies, bar one, are northern Muslims.

Can there be any greater form of corruption, abuse of power, injustice and betrayal of trust than this? Does this not prove the fact that our country is in dire need of restructuring? (TO BE CONTINUED).

Pastor Who Specializes In Stealing Cars Beaten To A Pulp In Abia [PHOTOS]

A self-professed yet-to-be-named pastor has been nabbed in Abia state for his alleged involvement in car theft.

According to a Facebook user, Airo Brown, who shared the photos, the pastor who is linked to a car robbery syndicate was caught stealing a car in Amaekpu-Ohafia area of the state.

The user tagged the photos thus: ‘This pastor is behind all the missing cars in Ohafia. He has been captured through the vigilante group in Amaekpu-Ohafia. These are missing car plate numbers, so check if yours is here!!!”

He was beaten to a pulp and tied up by irate mob including a vigilante group who reportedly caught him in the act.

Other items like several vehicle license plates and car keys were said to have been found in his possession.

Although the police is yet to comment on the incident as at press time, the self-acclaimed pastor reportedly confessed to the crime.

See pictures below…

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I Will Not Grant Any Application Until You Obey My Orders – Court Tells DSS

The Federal High Court, Abuja, has said it will not grant any application brought by the Department of State Services (DSS) until all orders of the court are obeyed.

A vacation judge, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, made this known in Abuja on Monday when DSS Counsel GOA Agbadua brought an application for a remand warrant.

Dimgba said it would be wrong for the court to grant an application of the DSS when it had no regard for orders of the court.

He said that he had ordered that retired Air Commodore Umar Mohammed, who was arraigned before him, to be remanded in Kuje Prison pending the hearing of his bail application, but that the DSS decided to keep him in its custody against the order of the court.

Dimgba also cited another instance when he ordered the service to produce some accused persons in court but noted that the DSS had yet to comply.

“The court will not grant any application of the DSS until there is sufficient proof that all orders of the court have been obeyed.

“It will be counter-productive for the court to take this application and grant the reliefs sought by the DSS.

“This court hereby adjourns this application sine die until the applicant’s counsel files an affidavit deposing to the fact that all outstanding orders of this court on the DSS have been complied with”, he added.

Dimgba had berated the DSS for flaunting orders of the court, one of which was to remand an accused person in Kuje prison. (NAN)

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Dokpesi Distances Self From Niger Delta Avengers

Chief Raymond Dokpesi, DAAR Communications founder, and aspiring national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  has denied links with resurgent militant group, Niger Delta Avengers.

Recall that the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, had issued a statement through its spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte on Saturday, claiming that the business mogul was part of those sponsoring the rampaging group that has claimed responsibility for several attacks on oil installations in the oil rich region.

But speaking with the Punch, the Edo High Chief insisted he had no “connection” with the separatist group.

He said, “I don’t know who is giving that report; I don’t have any idea; I have never met any Avenger in my life I have no connection, association and I don’t know who they are. I have been committed to strengthening the unity and stability of the country.

“I don’t k know anything pertaining to any Avenger, I don’t know anything about any militant group. I have no connection, no association with any militant group, either on earth or anywhere in the world.”

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If Boko Haram Kills Christian, Burn Churches, We’ll Slay Muslims, Raze Mosques – N-Delta Militant Group

The Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, in a statement by spokesperson of the group, W O I Izon-Ebi, on Saturday, vowed that it would carry out reprisal attacks on Muslims and mosques in the Niger Delta region if Boko Haram kills Christians and burn down churches in the north, as threatened by its new leader, Abu Masab el Barnaw, last Wednesday.

The group said: “We want to alert Nigerians and the world that the Islamization plot has been proven by the Boko Haram new leader Abu Masab el Barnaw that their new mission is to kill all Christians and burn down all churches.”

“But, we want to warn them that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st century will not accept killing of innocent Christians or burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta,” it said.

Its words: “We are not against President Buhari granting the Boko Haram amnesty if their sole purpose is to own an Islamic caliphate in the north, but they should mot shift it to the Niger Delta.”

“All we know and want is resource control and true federalism, if truly they believe in one Nigeria, and are working harder to build a prosperous One Nigeria, let them shift their Operation Crocodile Tears to the Fulani herdsmen and the Boko Haram that is threatening the unity and peace of Nigeria,” the group asserted.

NDRC called on President Muhammadu Buhari to demonstrate that leadership as the current leader and the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, just as former President Goodluck Jonathan showed by visiting him (Buhari) to indicate that he believes in the unity of Nigeria and was not part of the planned declaration of the Niger Delta Republic.

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No Crack In Our Group – Avengers

The Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, responding to a reported split of the group, has said they are united and together, distancing itself from Jude Kekyll.

The militant group in a retort this morning to Vanguard inquiry, said: “The NDA is too busy at the moment to be distracted by people like Jude Kekyll, he is not part of us and cannot be part of us. All our operatives are united and we are all together.”

Recall that yesterday, a group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, broke out of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and threatened to expose the identities of NDA fighters and their sponsors if the militant group does not stop bombing of pipelines.

The breakaway faction in a statement by Cynthia Whyte, said it dumped the NDA because of the recent personal appeal of former President Goodluck Jonathan, peace efforts of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, guilt feelings over the damage wrecked on the environment and President Muhammadu Buhari’s demonstrated political will to clean up the environment.

“We have decided to join the MEND Aaron Team 2 peace initiative through the clearing house of Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group (NDDCG) headed by HRH King Alfred Diette-Spiff,” the group said.

It asserted: “We will also cooperate with the government by exposing the identities of our comrades, who remain stubborn in their insistence to continue attacks. For example, it will shock the nation to know the Jekyll and Hyde personality behind the pseudonym 'Brigadier General Murdoch Agbinibo' and our sponsors.”

In a related event, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, in a statement by the national president, Austin Ozobo, has urged NDA to come out with its preliminary conditions for dialogue just as it condemned the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, to join forces with government to deal with the militant group.

IPDI said: “Our attention has been drawn to the preliminary conditions for dialogue and purported threat to smoke out Niger Delta Avengers ,NDA, by the defunct Movement For the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, if NDA fails to embrace the proposed dialogue with federal government.”

“Our preliminary study of the above shows that MEND preliminary conditions and threat to join government to smoke out NDA if they fail to embrace dialogue falls below expectation.

“It is a plot to rob the region of their genuine struggle as they failed to draw all inclusive preliminary demands such as immediate commencement of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, reopening of NIMASA Technical College, Okoloba, Delta state and acceptance to conduct referendum.

“It did also include release of alleged NDA members, including Oporoza 10 youths, agreement not to harass and arrest members of NDA if they come out, seizure of further military operations and arrests pending the final resolution of the dialogue, agreement to revoke oil blocs and greement to implement Niger Delta Development blue print ,” it said.

IPDI asserted: “Though, we are not against the release of Henry Okah, Charles Okah, Edmund Ebiware, and others but since they were not arrested in active struggle, it is wrong to have use their release as a preliminary conditions to begin dialogue of Niger Delta demands of resource control and self-determination.”

“If MEND is not fighting for its affairs, why did it fail to include revitalization of seaports in Niger Delta and relocation of headquarters of oil companies to the region?

“It is also wrong for MEND to threaten to join force with Nigeria military to fish or smoke out Niger Delta Avengers if they fail to yield to its line of dialogue. This exposes the shallow interest of miscreants under the banner of defunct MEND,” it added.

“This further shows that they are mostly interested on the release of their members, who are currently undergoing detention. MEND definition of the current struggle is an attempt to undermine the evergreen struggle for better Niger Delta region. It is an attempt to hijack the efforts of NDA to free their members arrested on issues not connected with the struggle.

“Why MEND decided to condemn NDA to the firing squad and exonerate their members who were arrested and detained on account of their personal deals and why it feels that they are better than NDA members beat imagination. How did MEND expect genuine people and NDA to queue behind their self-centered preliminary conditions for dialogue when such preliminary demands do not guarantee the future of the region? The group stated.

It added: “MEND should review its preliminary conditions for the proposed dialogue, one thing MEND should understand is that government may decide to accept their shallow and selfish preliminary conditions, but what would they do if government fails to agree on the real demands of the region on the course of the dialogue.”

“MEND is doing another injustice to the region. You do not just make demands, you must consult resources persons, you must consider tomorrow when making preliminary demands. MEND preliminary conditions fall short of expectation and it does not represent the general interest of Niger Delta people,” IPDI said.

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Avengers Split As Faction Threatens To Expose Sponsors, Members

A new militant group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, claiming to be a breakaway faction of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, have emerged.

The group in a statement by Cynthia Whyte, threatened to expose the identities of NDA fighters and their sponsors if the militant group do not cease hostilities.

The statement said: “Permit us to begin by introducing the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), a breakaway faction of the Niger Delta Avengers.”

RNDA, however, said: “A majority of us in consideration of the recent personal appeal by His Excellency, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the peace efforts and initiative of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the feeling of guilt over the damage being effected on our environment.

“And at the same time, the government of President Buhari has exhibited political will and backing words with action to clean up the environment, we have decided to join the MEND Aaron Team 2 peace initiative through the clearing house of Niger Delta Dialogue and Contact Group (NDDCG) headed by HRH King Alfred Diette-Spiff,” the group said.

It asserted: “ We will also cooperate with the government by exposing the identities of our comrades, who remain stubborn in their insistence to continue attacks. For example, it will shock the nation to know the Jekyll and Hyde personality behind the pseudonym ‘Brigadier General Murdoch Agbinibo’ and our sponsors.”

“It added: “We also use this opportunity to call on the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, to take advantage of the olive branch concession secured by MEND and renounce the Biafra question which is an anachronism.

“Those advising Mr. Nnamdi Kanu to do otherwise neither love him nor appreciate the level of treason this simple act of common sense and humility can extricate him from,” the new group pointed out.

It stated: “ The Niger Delta will no longer be your proxy war to achieve your ambition. To our comrades in the NDA, we urge you to stop being defiant and embrace peace and the wise counsel we all received from former President Jonathan.”

In a related event, Fred Brisibe, Coordinator of the Ijaw Human Rights Monitors, IJHRM, in a statement has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to liaise with former President Goodluck Jonathan to help him in resolving the Niger Delta logjam.

The group  said: “We noticed from the body language of former President Goodluck Jonathan after his meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari that there are flickers of light at the end of the tunnel for the bleak situation of uncertainty around the agitation for restructuring.”

“However, this hope may fizzle out too soon if certain ugly trends are not arrested without delay. Truth is, certain characters who are members of the so-called Niger Delta Contact and Dialogue Team are on a mission to thwart the peace initiative.

“They frolic daily with the fraudulent MEND and use the opportunity of their membership of the committee to extort money from unsuspecting government officials for self enrichment. This is adversely affecting the peace process and may completely frustrate the dialogue,” he said.

The group asserted: “It is important, therefore, that for any meaningful and pragmatic solution to emerge, President Muhammadu Buhari should liaise with Goodluck Jonathan to get a proper team of delegates from the region to dialogue with.”

“We wish to use the opportunity to call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the DSS to arrest and prosecute anyone who is involved in this syndicate,” it added.

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The Damage That We Will Wreak In S/South Shall Take FG Over Decades To Correct – Militants

The militants group, Forest Soldiers, FF, aka Isaac Boro Last Born, on Friday, in a statement by its leader, ‘General’ O. C. Ibori, aka, Baba Were 1 of Niger Delta, reiterated its warning to the federal government and the international community that it was going ahead with the attacks at the expiry of the ultimatum.

Their leader said, “The damage that we will wreak in the South South region shall take the federal government over two decades to correct, if at all there would still be the entity to be called Nigeria again, when we start our bombings."

“Before now, we employed a civilized way to make our demands, we entered into various dialogues with the federal government through Brig. Gen. Paul Boro (retd), Dr Ibe Kachikwu and Lai mohammed. On Feb. 18th, 2016, they agreed to us, the Arepo militants 1,500 amnesty slots because we were excluded in the first and second phase of the programme, but till now they have failed to do so.

It added that "We are the most dreaded militants group in Arepo. The Avengers group is like a child's play. We the militants in Arepo are not members of the avengers and we have no affiliation with them. We do not have the same ideology with them. We have been a peace loving group before now and we have been living in the Arepo neighbourhood peacefully since 2001 without causing any havoc to the Nigerian resources."

“Instead of the government given us amnesty, it brought in the military to attack us. We will use all our arsenals which we positioned in Delta, Edo, Rivers,Bayelsa,Ondo, Cross Rivers, Imo, Ebonyi, Lagos and Ogun to destabilise Nigeria and destroy all pipelines in these states.

“The government does not understand the language of peace and negotiation but violence. When we start the international community will feel the impact as all the U.N machinery in Nigeria will be touched. Foreign investors in the country will suffer irretrievable lost as oil pipelines in Edo,Imo, Rivers, Ondo, Cross River, Ogun, Bayelsa, Lagos, Ebonyi and Delta states, will be gone.”

How Niger Delta Avengers, Others Acquire Detonators, Explosives

Major General Babagana Mongonu (rtd), the National Security Adviser, today disclosed that explosives experts dispatched to conduct investigations into the incessant bombing attacks on oil facilities in the oil rich region have uncovered the diversion of about 9, 000kg of high explosives and 16, 420 pieces of detonators for illegal use.

The NSA made the startling revelation at a meeting with local manufacturers of fertilizers just as he read the riot act to two fertilizer companies, Notore Petrochemical and Indorama Eleme Petrochemical companies for allegedly shortchanging Nigerians by causing Fertilizer shortages, through the illegal exportation of the product outside the country.

Throwing more light on the explosives and detonators in Abuja, a visibly worried NSA said, “The major actors, including the store man of a major explosives distribution company in Nigeria, an accomplice and five (5) security operatives have been arrested and handed over to appropriate authorities”.

“Right now, investigations are being conducted and I can assure you that they are deeply culpable and necessary actions will be taken on conclusion of investigation.

“Let me also reiterate that any individual or company that operates outside the confines of legitimacy or illegality will have itself to blame. We also want to add that the government of the day will not want to listen to any influence peddler in the society on behalf of any company that decides to sabotage National Security”.

On the fertilizer scam, the NSA said, “Nigerians should recall the discovery that improvised explosive devices (IED) being employed by terrorists for their bombing campaigns were developed mainly from certain grades of fertilizers with particular reference to some nitrate based types including Urea Nitrate (synthesized from Urea).

“Accordingly, it was discovered that the indiscriminate importation of these items by all and sundry resulted into lack of control and it eased their availability to mischievous elements for use to perpetrate insecurity. This indiscriminate importation further reduced the prospects for the local manufacture of these materials and by extension, the loss of foreign exchange to avoidable imports. This ultimately culminated into the ban on importation of fertilizers to the country”.

“In keeping with the commitment of the federal government to boosting national economy, Notore Petrochemical and Indorama Eleme Petrochemical were licensed as the sole manufacturers of Urea blend of fertilizers in Nigeria. Furthermore, the office of the NSA in collaboration with federal ministry of agriculture and rural development facilitated necessary importation of raw materials and also secured distribution networks’.

“This move was aimed at solving the national security problem on one hand by easing control of the items and on the other hand, boosting economy by encouraging local production”.

“The cumulative annual production of the two companies is estimated at 2. 05 million metric tonnes, while Nigeria’s estimated consumption rate is 1.1million metric tonnes, which is 53 per cent of production. Accordingly, the companies have the opportunity to cumulatively export about 47 per cent of their production”.

“However, this office has observed with total dismay some unpatriotic act and abuse of goodwill of government. Reports of activities of these companies have indicated that about 71 per cent of the 2. 05 million metric tonnes cumulative annual production is being exported to the detriment of our national economy. This has resulted in a spike in the price of urea-based fertilizers in Nigeria with obvious implications on food security in the country”.

“In view of the forgoing, I wish to categorically state that government will continue to adhere to the rule of law. However, it must be noted that the rule of law is not akin to anarchy”.

“Accordingly, this office (ONSA) will not hesitate to close and withdraw the operating license of any company that exports products without first meeting local consumption. This office and the ministry will work to put in place, measures to access production and determine exportable quantity by the respective companies”.

Continuing, General Mongonu said, “I must say at this point that the goodwill showed by the government of this country should not be taken for granted. The fact that we are in a difficult time and complicated situation in our economy and security does not mean that companies and individuals with vested interest will take the goodwill of this country for granted”.

“The President (Buhari) came to power with specific mandate which is clear to all Nigerians and indeed the international community. We will view with very serious consequences, any company that falls out of line and behave in a manner that will bring to its knee, the economy of this country and indeed the security of this country”.

“We will not hesitate act and it is an action that will be taken with immediate effect. It is important to for us to also know that all farmers are suffering in all the communities throughout the country” he concluded.

Among those present at the meeting was the minister of state for Agriculture, Senator Hieneken Lokpobiri, Mr. Appolo Goma, Chief Operating Officer, Indorama Petrochemical Company and Mr. Oscar Okpe of Notoro Petrochemical Company.

BREAKING: Isis Announces New Leadership For Boko Haram, Says Shekau Replaced

Islamic State Jihadist group, ISIS, has announced a change of leadership in the Boko Haram militants group.

The terrorist group said the leadership for its West African branch, Boko Haram, has been adjusted, BBC is reporting.

The announcement was made known in the latest issue of their magazine.

The magazine featured its first interview with Abu Musab al-Barnawi, previous spokesman for the Nigerian-based Islamists who now replaces Abubakar Shekau, even though, it was not disclosed what has become of the group’s former leader, Abubakar Shekau.

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Massive Resignations Hit DSS

Report has it that massive resignation has hit the Department of State Services, DSS, in recent times, forcing the management of the service to temporarily place a moratorium on further voluntary resignation from personnel of the service.

Investigations so far indicated that in the last 10 months, about 70 middle cadre and junior cadre officers had resigned from the service.

The reason behind the massive resignation reports say is because of unfavourable terms of employment they alleged had pervaded the service since the take over of the present Director General of the agency, Mallam Lawal Musa Daura.

One of the staff who resigned two weeks ago, said: “The condition of service is no longer favourable. Some allowances that we were entitled to were stopped, while others were cut in half without explanation.

"Most importantly, operation allowances that we used to enjoy were stopped without any reason. And we were still expected to put in our best. If I cannot be treated well while in service, how will my family be treated well when I am dead? It’s unfortunate that I had to leave after so much has been invested in me by this country.’’

Another secret police who said he would also leave in the next couple of months, said: “During the last dispensation, the service personnel were well motivated to do their job. We embark on dangerous covert assignments to keep the nation safe and all that we get in return is insults and suspicion from the leadership of the service. Fortunately, most of us are well trained so our services are needed by those countries that helped in training us. We cannot be jobless. If you get a better offer, it’s only natural to move” he noted.

Another complain given by those who left is that “there appears to be no future in remaining. When I joined the service, it was like one family. There was no regional or ethnic segmentation. What we have seen so far is perception of actions or inactions from the prism of where one comes from. We were told during training that your competence will make or mar you. That promise has been compromised. It’s no longer interesting” she said.

Vanguard reports that at the last count, five of those personnel who left were absorbed by the American Embassy, ten by several banks and other financial institutions as head of security, while about four have joined oil companies.

Worried by the steady resignation, the management of the service issued a circular through departmental heads and state Directors directing that voluntary resignation by service personnel should no longer be accepted until further notice.

No member of the service was ready to speak on record and the service has no official spokesman since the last one, Marylyn Ogar left service.

However, a senior official of the service who did not want his name in print claimed that the last dispensation exposed its personnel to unnecessary wealth “which is capable of compromising operational duties”

“There is no way the present leadership would have continued with the shenanigans that was perpetrated in the last dispensation. Apparently the leadership wants to return the service to its founding vision which is selfless service to the nation. It’s obvious that those who cannot fit in would naturally leave” he said.

It will be recalled that DSS 65 cadet officers of the service who were undergoing training at the State Services Academy, SSA, in Lagos, including a sibling of the sacked former spokes person of the service, Marilyn Ogar were asked to leave in September last year, few weeks to their passing out.

No reason was given for their dismissal which was contained in a letter by the Director General of the Department of State Service, Lawal Daura.

A senior officer of the service who is familiar with the matter explained that “What happened was that recruitment of most of these cadets did not follow due process. They were brought into the service by politicians without meeting the stringent requirements set by the service in recruiting its personnel. They were dumped on the service by politicians through the active connivance of the past leadership of the service. We are re-organising the service so we cannot afford to have partisan political moles in our midst” the source said.

The source who is a senior operative of the service said the process of “weeding undesirable elements” who found their way into the service was ongoing. The present leadership of the service is determined to reposition the service to its professional roles. There is nothing personal about the decision of the service. It was a very painful decision in view of the investment made on them but it was a decision that must be taken” he had said.

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N-Delta Attacks: We’ve Surrendered —EX-MILITANT GROUP

A group of ex-militants under the aegis of Former Forest Soldiers, FFS, yesterday, denied claims by security agencies that it belongs to Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, asking the Federal Government not to associate or treat it as Avengers.

The group also known as Isaac Boro Last Born, while absolving itself of culpability in any act of bombing or kidnapping in Arepo area of Lagos, its leader, ‘General’ O. Ibori, said: “We are ex-militants and not part of Avengers. We are shocked that the Federal Government has reneged on its part to fulfil its obligation from the several peaceful dialogues we had with it after we laid down our weapons for years now.

"We have surrendered but rather than fulfil its obligation by enlisting us in the amnesty programme, the Federal Government just began linking us to some recent kidnappings in the Arepo area of Lagos and the destructive activities of the Avengers that we know nothing about. All we want is to be part of the amnesty programme as the final step of the various dialogues.

"Security forces have burnt down three houses of our leader in Lagos in connection with a purported recent kidnapping in Arepo area and security men have been hunting us down. This is why are crying out that we were not responsible for any act of kidnapping and we are not part of the Avengers, only that we are asking to be enlisted in the amnesty programme.

"The government has chosen force and fire instead of peace and freedom. It has reneged on its part after the various dialogue we had, but we have pledged to be law abiding and never return to arms any longer. We are now asking the Federal Government to stop harassing us and members of our families, including burning down our homes and stop treating us as if we are part the Avengers, because we have given peace a chance.”

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NIGER DELTA AVENGERS: WE HAVE NO BUSINESS WITH ARMED AVENGERS, SAYS MASSOB

 

Chief Solomon Chukwu, the Leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra has revealed that there is no affiliation between MASSOB and armed Niger Delta Avengers. Mr. Sunday Okereafor, the National Director of Information speaking on behalf of Chukwu on Thursday, said that while the Avengers were armed, MASSOB members were armless and non-violent. Chukwu who described the actions of the NDA as ill, obnoxious and nefarious said that MASSOB was not supportive of the activities of Avengers.

“Avengers are militants. Their philosophy, ideology, concept, mission and vision are quite different from MASSOB's,” Chukwu said.

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MILITANCY: KACHIKWU BROKERS PEACE IN DELTA

 The ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and militants came under threat as Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, blew up a Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, pipeline in Oruk Anan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

This was probably in relation to the breach of ceasefire by soldiers who on Wednesday swooped on Tebijor, also known as Okpelama, an Ijaw community in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta state, the soldiers came in five gunboats hunting for militants.

The attack came after Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, the Minister of State, Petroleum and Group Managing Director of NNPC, had managed to secure an understanding for total peace in a closed-door with strategic stakeholders, on Wednesday, at Asaba, Delta State.

Investigations revealed that those at the meeting were Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, spokesperson of Gbaramatu Council of Chiefs, GTC, and Chief Mobilizer of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama and another Gbaramatu leader, Chief Daniel Ekpebide. Others are Itsekiri leader and All Progressives Congress, APC chieftain, Chief Ayiri Emami and Okerenkoko leader, Chief Michael Johnny, also an APC stalwart.

Dr. Ibe Kachikwu at the meeting emphasized the need for all sides to reach out to the perpetrators to halt the current bombings and allow the oil companies to repair damaged pipelines for oil to flow again. 

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BOKO HARAM KILL 24 PEOPLE, POLICE ARREST BOKO HARAM KINGPIN ON WANTED LIST IN ADAMAWA

The dreaded Boko Haram group reportedly killed 24 persons in Kuda -Kaya village of Madagali local Government Area of Adamawa state.

An eyewitness revealed that the insurgents in their hundred stormed the village on Thursday night at about 10 pm and killed 24 people, while 10 others sustained various degree of injuries from the attack.

Meanwhile, DSP Othman Abubakar, the spokesman of the Police command in the state, told Journalists in Yola that 18 persons were killed in Kuda-Kaya attack and also said that one of the kingpin of Boko Haram on wanted list of the military was arrested in Gombi while trying to withdraw money in the Bank.

He assured that the suspect is currently in the custody

undergoing interrogation.

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NIGER DELTA AVENGERS: CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL MR PRESIDENT TO STOP TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED?: FG NOT READY FOR DIALOGUE WITH MILITANTS – IJAW GROUP

Austin Ozobo, the national president, Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, Warri, Delta State, Wednesday, stated that the Federal Government was not serious about the proposed dialogue with militants.

The group in a statement by the national president claimed unwarranted arrest and invasion of Tebujuor community by soldiers, yesterday. He said “The government of the day is not serious about the proposed negotiation.

"The frequent invasion of communities and arrest of persons after it announced two-week ceasefire fire shows that the government is not ready to negotiate with militants.

“It has refused to keep to its promise of ceasefire, they seem to talk from both sides of the mouth, and we are disappointed. The government is only looking for an avenue to identify the true face of militants to deal with them if

negotiation fails.”

Austin Ozodo added, “imagine just a day after the ceasefire, last week, they invaded Ogulagha and Oporoza communities.

In Ogulagha community, they arrested about four persons, though they have released them.

“In Oporoza , Tompolo’s house was ransacked, and money and traditional sacred items were stolen, another one was arrested in Sapele and now another three persons arrested in Tebujor, followed by unwarranted invasion of Tebujor.

“We no longer have confidence on the government’s commitment to its peace talk. Another thing we found out is that the government wants to induce some of the militants to fight others,” it said.

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