http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/12/john-togo-calls-off-ceasefire-blows-up-nnpc-pipeline/

John Togo blows up NNPC pipeline
News Dec 6, 2010

WARRI- NIGER-DELTA Liberation Force, NDLF, the armed group, led by wanted ex-militant leader, “General” John Togo, repudiated its ceasefire on Sunday, as it blew up a Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, major oil pipeline in Delta State following the invasion and alleged killings of Ayakoromor villagers by the Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-Delta.

Spokesman of the NDLF, “Captain” Mark Anthony in a statement, entitled, “Why we detonated NNPC major line in Delta State” said, NDLF soldiers have struck the major pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), near Batan flow station, in Delta State, last Sunday night, at about 11; 30pm, 5th December, 2011. The NDLF took the operation in three war gunboats with three GPMGs and 15 AK-47 rifles”.

He said the bombing of the oil pipeline was “a reaction to federal government ‘s insensitivity to the plight of Niger- Delta people by committing genocide over NDLF’s call for the federal government to accomplish the former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s post amnesty by convening a post-amnesty conference to address grey areas of Niger Delta arms struggle”.

“The JTF soldiers on guard were not injured and their arms untouched as the JTF commander at the location co-operated with NDLF to spare the lives of solders under his command. NDLF had earlier said that this second phase of oil war is not about security personnel, as NDLF is not a criminal organization as being peddled by Nigerian government to shy away from the root cause of the Niger Delta violent arms struggle”, he asserted.

The group added, “NDLF is not terrorist organization like JTF where it has no respect and sanctity of life. But it is primarily aimed to reposition the Niger Delta question of criminal injustice and marginalization. If NDLF is blood thirsty like the JTF, those few JFT soldiers might have been slaughtered. But we decide to protect their lives for their co-operation and above all, they are doing job against their will due to extreme poverty in Nigeria”.

“We once again reiterate our position that the current arms struggle is not intended to discredit President Goodluck Jonathan 2011. The rumour that NDLF is sponsored by shallow minded persons is quite regretted as there is no iota of truth. Every sane person know that the Niger Delta age long struggle is not about skill acquisition and monthly payment of post-amnesty largesse to only handful of Niger Delta repented youths”, the group further stated.

It also condemn the bombing of innocent Ayakoromor town in the cause of NDLF agitation for fair deal in Niger Delta, adding, “We urge President Goodluck Jonathan and the leaders of Niger Delta to call the army Chief of staff to moderate JTF military onslaught only to the locations of Niger Delta freedom fighters, and never to cause terrorism again by committing genocide in harmless, innocent and poor Ijaw communities, thereby adding the plight of oil rich but poor locales”.

“For NDLF, this may be the last hostility in Niger Delta, if federal government could soften its Pharaoh-like mindset to convene the post-amnesty conference, which is the bone of contention to enable aggrieved ex-militants to address grey areas of the post amnesty with federal government in a round table with US, UN and the international community as external observers”, the group said.

My heart bleeds for the ordinary nigerdeltans who have had to die because of the actions of the militants. I dont think the militants have the best interest of the ordinary ND man @ heart for surely their actions can yield no positive results for the ordinary ND man.

Almajiris of Niger-Delta.

Jus passed.