Ex militants belonging to defunct NDLF have describe the call by some Urhobo/Itsekiri youth to be included in the 3rd phase of the Niger Delta amnesty programme as “challenge to us and calls for another round of gun battle, challenge except, they stay away from amnesty matters for the interest of peace and their lives”.
NDLF in a statement signed by Capt. Mark Anthony ,its spokesman warned Urhobo/Itsekiri boys agitating to be included in the amnesty programme that “Amnesty is not for all Niger Delta youths; therefore, such youths who want federal government empowerment should direct their agitation/complain to the office of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or Niger Delta Ministry or better still multinationals operating in their communities or local government headquarters”.
According to the spokesman of defunct NDLF “We warn those misguided youths from Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic Nationalities who think Amnesty is an all comers game. Amnesty is mafia game and those that are planning to disrupt the peace with street protest should be ready for the consequences. We are coming to meet them anywhere who protest on exclusion on amnesty. The world knows our record; we do not have horsetails (koboko) to punish culprits. Our only koboko is the ‘Kalachin’”
Read the full text of NDLF statement which was e-mailed to Newsdiaryonline.com below:
Urhobo/Itsekiri Youths; Leave Amnesty Matters for Your Own Interest, Ex-militants Warned
The attention of true ex-combatants in Niger Delta has been drawn to series of unguided and provocative comments and publications by some misguided youths of Urhobo/ Itsekiri ethnic Nationalities clamouring for inclusion into the third phase of the federal amnesty programme, something they know nothing about, is seen as a challenge to us and calls for another round of gun battle, except, they stay away from amnesty matters for the interest of peace and their lives. In any part of Delta State, if they are excluded and they come out for street demonstration, we will come out to demonstrate with them with whatever instrument available in our hands. This is because the Urhobo/Itsekiri is taking our patience and silence for granted over amnesty matters. And we want to pick it up with them from now; they should be ready for us and take whatever thing they see.
Most annoying is the recent publication in one of the National dailies by some of the misguided Urhobo youths from Ughelli town, purported to be Niger Delta ex-combatants, in statement accredited to one, Wise Onobruchere, Eddy Godnews and Ebuo Ata, threatening federal government to return to the creeks and cause havoc to oil facilities, if the government refuses to include them in the third phase amnesty programme. Such unguided utterances by such miscreants are quite inciting and provocative to those of us who were former real Niger Delta
fighters that survived and returned to join our families.
We warn those misguided youths from Itsekiri and Urhobo ethnic Nationalities who think Amnesty is an all comers game. Amnesty is mafia game and those that are planning to disrupt the peace with street protest should be ready for the consequences. We are coming to meet them anywhere who protest on exclusion on amnesty. The world knows our record; we do not have horsetails (koboko) to punish culprits. Our only koboko is the “Kalachin”
Let it be clear to everybody that Amnesty is not for every Niger Delta youths, it is a federal pardon for those who carried arms against the Nigerian state where human lives were lost on both federal troops and rebel groups, communities in Ijaw ethnic Nationalities were air raided by federal military invasion planes with high caliber bombs which caused mass murder in some Ijaw communities, specifically Odi (1999) Ogodobiri(2003) Gbaramatu kingdom(2009) and Ayakoromor(2010).Today, some of us when we sleep, we saw ghosts of loved ones who died during the battle. We lost our brothers, friends, families and some of our wives ran away with other men when we returned from the creek. These are our lots in Niger Delta.
When we were fighting Nigerian army otherwise code named Joint Task Force (JTF) in a fight to finish arms confrontations for several months in Niger Delta, it was these Urhobo/ Itsekiri youths and their elders that were laughing at the Ijaw ethnic Nationality (they called us all sorts of negative names for challenging federal army in a gun duel) to control our resources.
Today, these same Itsekiri/Urhobo are making the loudest noise in the media to be included in the amnesty programme to reap from where they did not sow. Amnesty cannot be politicized like every other conventional politics. Amnesty is 100% affair and game for the brave men from the creek only. Amnesty is an “iron to iron game” How can you reap from where you did not
sow?
We the strong deadly former soldiers of NDLF who were on the wanted list of Nigerian army for over two years before the final state pardon are categorically warning those Urhobo/Itsekiri youths to go and declare their war against the federal government and get their separate amnesty and never to hide under Ijaw youths to clamour for inclusion into the third phase amnesty
and threat federal government in the pages of newspapers without a bite. We were there, we saw and we conquer.
We urge the federal government amnesty office not to be intimidated or blackmailed by any group of ethnic Nationalities who bought two packets of BB cartridges and five dane guns (hunters guns) and submitted without a taste of battle with JTF soldiers never to consider such groups in Itsekiri, Ijaw and Urhobo ethnic Nationalities into the amnesty programme . If they
insist, the amnesty office, should carry out a verification exercise to identity their barracks/camp s in Niger Delta of such self-acclaimed ex-generals before consider them to be included in the 3rd phase of amnesty through the support of the Joint Task Force. Nobody can politicize amnesty like 13% derivation fund.These groups of youths are cone men and are impostors. Therefore, shall be dealt with severely as criminals, if they are caught. Nobody asks them to purchase dane guns and cartridges and submit same to the Joint Task Force (JTF) for onward documentation/accreditation to enjoy amnesty largesse.
Amnesty is not for all Niger Delta youths; therefore, such youths who want federal government empowerment should direct their agitation/complain to the office of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) or Niger Delta Ministry or better still multinationals operating in their communities or local government headquarters. These agencies are for all Niger Delta ethnic
Nationalities. Amnesty is not, but strictly restricted for ex-combatants in Niger Delta and not ex-armed robbers/street urchins. Do not say, we did not warn you. Delta State government and Parents should warn their wards/children as our anger will be disastrous and will not be in the best interest of the existing peace in the state.
Signed
Capt. Mark Anthony, Spokesman defunct NDLF
