BREAKING NEWS | Militants declare ‘Operation Show no Mercy’

From: Tony John,Port Harcourt

NigerDelta militants have declared what they termed ‘Operation show no mercy’ vowing to resume attacks on oil installations in the region.

This declaration was made by a Coalition of Niger Delta Militants (NDA), which came barely 24 hours after the Niger Delta Avengers declared resumption of hostilities in the region.

The militants’ resolve to resume hostilities in the region came less than a month after the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) had appealed to the youths of the region to be patient, with the elders.

PANDEF had assured that the group was in  dialogue with the Federal Government to  implement the 16-point agenda for the development of the oil-rich region.

Meanwhile, the coalition in a statement signed by its leader, John Duku, said the agitators resolved to attack oil installations, having found out that  the Federal Government cared less about the oil-rich region.

Also, the militants wondered why the Federal  Government  used money that should have been spent on developing the region in  funding  ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’.

The militants warned that the planned attacks would not cease and vowed to crush whatever that would stand as an obstacle to their threat.

It stated: “All the militant groups in the Niger Delta have met today (Saturday), and we have issued a directive that they should go back to their different states, do everything possible to cripple all the (oil) installations. “We are going to resume attacks and this time around, it is not going to be business as usual. We have already agreed that when we move in, it will be ‘Operation No Mercy’. Anything we find on our way, there would be no option than to crush it. That is the decision at our meeting today.

“It is not only the installations; we are also going to shut down the offices of each of the oil companies. It is high time the Niger Delta people worked together and declare a Niger Delta Republic; we will be on our own and manage our resources.

“We had already embraced peace, we had already announced ceasefire before the ‘Operation Crocodile Smile came. The exercise (Operation Crocodile Smile) was done in collaboration with top oil firm directors.

“The Operation Crocodile Smile was unnecessary because, as at that time, there was no crisis in the Niger Delta. But, because we insisted the oil companies should relocate their headquarters to Niger Delta before October, the oil companies connived with the cabal in government and they brought Nigerian Army to the  Niger Delta to intimidate us.  “The directive for the relocation of oil companies’ headquarters came from the Vice President, but they (oil companies) refused to relocate. Government should have used the money spent on Operation Crocodile Smile for the development of Niger Delta”, the coalition said.

However, the coalition, has commended the NDA for earlier declaration of attacks on pipelines and other oil installations in the region.

Source : Sunnewsonline