WARRI—THERE was fresh threat to the amnesty programme of the federal government for militants in the Niger-Delta weekend, as a new militant group, the Urhobo Revolutionary Army (URA), comprising mainly members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) emerged to fight the interest of the oil-rich Urhobo ethnic nationality in Delta State.

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, was understood to have already intervened in the matter, with a member of the Delta Waterways and Security Committee (DWSC) trying to reach out to the militants to quell the uprising.

In a statement on Sunday in Warri, the militant group said “with the blowing- up of the Otorogun Gas Plant, we, the Urhobo Revolutionary Army, announce the Urhobo struggle”, demanding control of all economic interests in Urhobo nation.

According to the URA, “we shall no longer accept the present docility and non-existent involvement of the Urhobo nation in the Niger-Delta struggle and therefore, we align fully with Henry Okah’s Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND), Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari’s Niger-Delta People Volunteer Force (NPDVF), Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo and other freedom fighting forces in the region, which are unshakable in the struggle.

“We condemn with seriousness the sell-out and sit-on-the fence attitude of some Urhobo leaders, like Deacon Gamaliel Onosede, Senator Felix Ibru, Chief James Ibori, His Royal Majesty, Benjamin Okumagba, Chief Ighoyota Amori, Chief Tom Amioku and Chief Omene Sobotie.

“They and their allies are sitting on the fence, pursuing personal and selfish interests against the Urhobo collective interest.   We totally reject the undermining of Urhobo nation, this shall not be tolerated, and we vehemently reject the level of economic advancement and political development of Urhobo youth.

Penultimate week, armed youths blew up a gas pipeline that conveys compressed gas to the Utorogun oil fields, operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and the Nigeria Gas Company (NGC), with dynamites and other explosives.

It was reliably gathered that the militants who left a flag and documents, listing their demands after the attack ,were demanding N150 million from the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) for their members that were either killed or injured during a face-off with soldiers when they attacked the gas facility earlier in the year.

A source said the militant group demanded the payment of N10 million for each of six killed members, N6 million each for those injured, development of Ughievwen kingdom and security jobs for them before peace would reign in the area.

Vanguard learnt that the group wrote to the SPDC alerting it of its intention to blow up the gas pipeline if its demands were not met.

The SPDC activated its security machinery and mobilized soldiers but the boys did not come on that day.

Though leaders of the militant group were talking to a community leader on phone on their demands, they caught the soldiers and the company unawares when they struck a fortnight ago, and even when efforts were being stepped up to get them to surrender their arms, they struck again a few days later.

“Currently, the group poses a serious threat to the amnesty programme of the federal government and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan is doing everything to stop them. The governor is not around now, but his people are discussing with the boys.

“Once he is back, I am sure he would find a way of meeting with their leader to personally listen to their demands and know how to tackle them”, the source said.

A group, which claimed to be Ughievwen Youth Body Fighters, reportedly had earlier claimed responsibility for the attack on the pipeline and they left banner, flier and leaflets.

In one of the documents signed by one Idi-Amin and Ogigi as leaders, the group said they would carry out more attacks until their demands were met.

Vanguard learnt that a vigilante group had been formed at the instance of a community leader in the area to check the activities of the new militant group.

“A new gas gathering plant is to be established in our area soon, we also know that the SPDC is expanding the Otorogun gas plant, new jobs will come for our people and these things cannot be done if there is no peace in the area, so we are appealing to the boys to give peace a chance.   They too will benefit from the jobs,” a member of the vigilante group stated.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2009/08/17/emergence-of-new-militant-group-threatens-fgs-amnesty/

When you refuse to deal with the root issues of problems this is the kind of thing you get.

Urhobo and Izon have always been best of friends; they both suffer maltreatment in the ND. This is not a suprising development.

Yes Yes oooooo

@babapupa

Instead of expending your stupidity here, why don't you visit this link? https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-310693.0.html
It will help you.

This is just a sign of more groups coming up in the future but i foresee dangers for these groups in the nearest future (If things are not done properly).  

after this group has been pacified (Re: last line of Things Fall Apart-The Pacification of the Primitive tribes of the lower Niger Delta.), then OPC will now start their own.

who are all these people fooling?

tpia.:

after this group has been pacified (Re: last line of Things Fall Apart-The Pacification of the Primitive tribes of the lower Niger Delta.), then OPC will now start their own.

who are all these people fooling?

@tpia

Instead of expending your stupidity here, why don't you visit this link? https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-310693.0.html
It will help you.

learn to be civil, or else you end up making yourself a fool.

@ topic

they are bringing the fight closer to Yorubaland small small.

After this, then the Binis will remember how the British forced them into Nigeria, with the help of Yoruba and Hausa traitors. And how Nigeria has been cheating them and disturbing their progress since that time.

Meanwhile, all inching closer and closer to Lagos.

tpia.:

after this group has been pacified (Re: last line of Things Fall Apart-The Pacification of the Primitive tribes of the lower Niger Delta.), then OPC will now start their own.

who are all these people fooling?

No one is fooling anyone or bringing the fight to yoruba land tpia, that's why we were angry when opc was making noise about the bombing of atlas cove. This should be a collective struggle and the opc should join now if they want. All these struggle is leading to the solution of the Nigerian problem ( which the opc will eventually benefit from) . We just don't know yet if it will be by a sovereign national conference or true a bitter war.

Black_Revo:

No one is fooling anyone or bringing the fight to yoruba land tpia, that's why we were angry when opc was making noise about the bombing of atlas cove. This should be a collective struggle and the opc should join now if they want. All these struggle is leading to the solution of the Nigerian problem ( which the opc will eventually benefit from) . We just don't know yet if it will be by a sovereign national conference or true a bitter war.

all you cultists should face each other ASAP.

tpia.:

@ topic

they are bringing the fight closer to Yorubaland small small.

After this, then the Binis will remember how the British forced them into Nigeria, with the help of Yoruba and Hausa traitors. And how Nigeria has been cheating them and disturbing their progress since that time.

Meanwhile, all inching closer and closer to Lagos.

Ughelli and Warri are now getting nearer to your precious Lagos! Na wa!

Instead of expending your stupidity here, why don't you visit this link? https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-310693.0.html
It will help you.

asha 80:

When you refuse to deal with the root issues of problems this is the kind of thing you get.

Before long, the Itsekiris will form their own group too. The scenario truly looks very bleak.

If only OBJ had started this amnesty thing, say in year 2000, who knows by now perhaps all these would have become history.

If only the ND state governors in 1999 to 2007 had judiciously utilised the 13% derivative for the benefit of the majority of the people, perhaps things wouldn't have gotten this bad.

If only ,

If only,

Oh, my gosh

Beaf:

Ughelli and Warri are now getting nearer to your precious Lagos! Na wa!

Instead of expending your stupidity here, why don't you visit this link? https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-310693.0.html
It will help you.

learn to be civil, or else you end up making yourself a fool.

If one gang can demand N3 billion with 3 bedroom flats each, another one can demand N2 billion and 2 bedroom flats.


JTF oya fall in there and wipe them out. Amnesty is called off. Boko Haram them all. Bloody TERRORISTS.

if their boss so decides, I really do see a clash sometime in the future, between all these militant groups fighting for supremacy.

Northern almajiri vs southern almajiri.

western almajiri vs eastern and midwest almajiri.

etc etc.

Until then, we all know they're being breastfed by the same mother and father.

Please, Shell should accompany the N150 million with 1 room face-me-I-face-you.


That's what the lives were worth.

tpia.:



all you cultists should face each other ASAP.

We are not cultist, We are Nigerian citizens asking for our legitimate rights

desgiezd:

Before long, the Itsekiris will form their own group too. The scenario truly looks very bleak.

If only OBJ had started this amnesty thing, say in year 2000, who knows by now perhaps all these would have become history.

If only the ND state governors in 1999 to 2007 had judiciously utilised the 13% derivative for the benefit of the majority of the people, perhaps things wouldn't have gotten this bad.

If only ,

If only,

Oh, my gosh

That is what i was saying in my earlier post that they might one day start fighting each other judging from the tone of these new militant group.

nex:

Please, Shell should accompany the N150 million with 1 room face-me-I-face-you.


That's what the lives were worth.

The Niger-Delta Citizens?

@ topic: GOOD MORNING, THE PEOPLE OF URHOBO. Seems the ishekiris and binis are still sleeping.

@Black_Revo

is that not what the terrorist say they're demanding the money for? Cash for the lives.

nex:

@Black_Revo

is that not what the terrorist say they're demanding the money for? Cash for the lives.

It was the criminal faction that was demanding and not the genuine ones.

$65,000 for the life of a Nigerian citizen. You see why I get so frustrated when these boneheads make demands. Is this the fight of the Niger Delta?


I wouldn't have believed this rubbish if not that I was in Delta just before this happened and had heard word from the grapevine that some cultist wanted run haywire.

nex:

$65,000 for the life of a Nigerian citizen. You see why I get so frustrated when these boneheads make demands. Is this the fight of the Niger Delta?


I wouldn't have believed this rubbish if not that I was in Delta just before this happened and had heard word from the grapevine that some cultist wanted run haywire.

Are you mistaking Niger-Delta for the south east. Pete Edochie was not kidnapped by militants and it was not in the Niger-Delta

Did you see me post about Pete Edochie here? The URA clowns are pricing the lives of their lost comrades at $65,000 dollars only. Last price. "Gaskiya". With "fisi".

Tpia - Fear not, there are already home grown Mend fighters in Yoruba and Edo land. Do you believe that fighters from warri or yenogoa went by speedboat to attack atlas cove?

The life of a shark is worth $200,000 , but these terrorist have told the Oyibo people at Shell that our lives are worth 5 times less than that. Now we now why they shouldn't bother.

They could even wipe out an entire state and pay a couple billions. That'll give them space and rest of mind to work.

Like it or not small but mighty Niger Delta is the heartbeat of this nation, rather than advocating genocide, lets try and make things work.

I wonder for these people.

Do you think Nigeria will still be united in 2015? America is predicting Nigeria's collapse by then.

With all of these militant groups popping up everywhere, I'm not too sure.

@blackspade

Do you know how long Texas and Rhode Island have been agitating to break off from the USA? With an African American as president, it has gotten worse. If they don't break up, they should shut up!

SapeleGuy:

Tpia - Fear not, there are already home grown Mend fighters in Yoruba and Edo land. Do you believe that fighters from warri or yenogoa went by speedboat to attack atlas cove?

what's the difference between OPC, MEND, MASSOB, Boko harem, etc?

tribe and religion?

think harder.