ELDERS and leaders of the Niger Delta region has secured an extention of three (3) months ceasefire from Niger Delta Avengers to enable the federal government prove that it is sincere about its commitment to the region.

The militant group has been claiming responsibility for attacks on oil installations in the region last year.

Last week, the group said it would resume hostilities any moment from then, adding that the Buhari’s administration has not been sincere with its peace talks and promises for the Niger Delta.

Intervening, the Pan-Niger Delta People’s Congress (PNDPC) said it had interfaced with the agitators and successfully secured a commitment from the NDA to extend its ceasefire for another three months.

“We have been concerned because the Niger Delta problem is a Nigerian problem. When the Niger Delta is in crisis, Nigeria is in crisis. If we don’t handle it well, it can consume the entire country the same way the leadership of the northern Nigeria, particularly those of the North-East, did not come out to handle the Boko Haram problem, which has now gone international.

“That is why we as leaders of the Niger Delta area came together to say we must stop this.

“This last threat did not come from criminals, it came from some of them that I hold in very high esteem, and in the last three days, we have been working day and night; myself, Elder T.K Ogoriba and a few others, to see that we discourage bombing.

“We have just secured a three-month extension of ceasefire to enable government prove its sincerity for the last time. But if they fail us this time around, someone like me will pull out; I will no longer be involved in this peace process.

“The boys have said now that we’ve prevailed on them, they will listen again. I can assure you that you will not see bombing or destruction of pipelines and facilities because we have secured extra three months of ceasefire,” National Coordinator of PNDPC, High Chief Mike Loyibo said in a chat with TheNation Newspaper.

Also, the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) said it had not rested on its oars in its efforts to bring lasting peace, stability and development to the region.

“The most important thing is that, just like we accessed them before and they kept to their words and gave PANDEF their mandate to go on to dialogue on their behalf, PANDEF will continue to access them.

“Avengers are not spirits; they are human beings and indigenes of the Niger Delta. So, if anybody says PANDEF does not know how to access them, that can’t be true.

“Efforts are being made. PANDEF is not resting on its oars. It is living up to the expectations of Niger Delta people by ensuring that there’s permanent and sustainable peace and to fast-track development in the region, based on equity and justice.

“As a follow up to all I’ve said, PANDEF is hosting an extraordinary general assembly, particularly to address this security situation. The meeting is coming up on Friday 17th of this month at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun, Delta State.

“The meeting is very important because people need to come together to articulate views and find ways of trying to see how this whole matter can be resolved.

“This is to tell you about the importance PANDEF attaches to peace in the region,” the Coordinator of PANDEF’s secretariat, who is also a member of its Central Working Committee (CWC), Dr Alfred Mulade, told the newspaper.

As at press time, when Headline visited the website of the Avengers, nothing about this new development was seen there even though the militant group had used the medium to announce the expiration of its ceasefire on oil installations across the region.

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