Niger Delta Militants carrying out recent attacks are criminals - Clark

Chief Edwin Clark has said militants currently carrying out attacks in Niger Delta are criminals and enemies of the Niger Delta people.

Niger Delta statesman, Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, has said militants carrying out attacks after a peace talk has been initiated are nothing but criminals.

In a recent press briefing, Clark stressed that the youths who have been carrying out attacks and making boasts on social media are enemies of the Niger Delta people.

Speaking in his capacity as the leader of the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF), Clark appealed to the government to keep its part on request made as the home front will be handled by the elders.

In his words: “Our boys were still boasting in the social media that they were going to attack; they will do this, do that. I was in my house when they sent to me that FG has sent troops to the creeks in a houseboat opposite Oporoza and that some boys were arrested. We intervened and those boys were released. So the question is, what do we want, what are they looking for? They are enemies of the people; they are criminals."

Continuing, Clark said: “The war you are fighting did not start today. You have not even waited for the dialogue to take place, and then you have other ulterior motives.

“So we will soon have a meeting of PANDEF to discuss this thing and take a position. Let me also warn that there are some politicians who are also members of the Niger Delta, who are fighting themselves, and it is not unlikely that some of these people are involved in these bombings to discredit each other.

“The recent blowing up of Trans-Forcados Pipeline operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) is no longer a matter arising from grievances, but an act design to sabotage the present peace process.

“I want to emphasise that no government sits by, and watch its national assets being destroyed. It is the innocent members of the communities who would bear the brunt of possible reprisal attacks by military.

“We appeal to FG to go on acting on the requests we made to Mr. President on November 1. We will deal with this situation. We won’t sit down at home with arms folded and allow some few individuals to destroy our destiny.

“A larger meeting will be called to review the situation and take a position,” he concluded.President Buhari held a high-level meeting with leaders and other stakeholders of the Niger Delta region and received a 16-point request presented for negotiation by the Niger Delta leaders.