Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in a swift reaction to President Muhammadu Buhari claim on Thursday that the Federal Government was talking to Niger Delta militants through the oil companies and security agencies, said there were no such peace talks.
The militant group in a statement by its spokesperson, self-styled Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, asserted: “Our attention has been drawn to media report that the President is in touch with Niger Delta agitators, including the Niger Delta Avengers, but the truth is that we are not aware of any peace talks.”
“If there is any such peace talks, it means the President is talking to their mercenaries set to disturb the genuine struggle of the agitators.
“President Buhari led government is not sincere to the Nigeria people and their foreign allies,” it pointed out. NDA said: “If we are to engage in any peace talks, we made it clear that the international community must be part of it. The President knows our demands. Therefore, they should stop deceiving the international oil companies, the general public and the international community.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had, Thursday, confirmed that his government was in dialogue with Niger Delta militants towards putting a stop to pipeline vandalism and violence being experienced in the region.
The President gave the confirmation through the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu while granting farewell audience to the outgoing Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, Mr. Michael Zinner, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari said that the talks were being done through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies and was aimed at finding lasting solution to insecurity in the region. He also said that his administration was studying the instruments of the Presidential Amnesty Programme inherited from the previous administration with a view to carrying out commitments made that were undelivered.
“We understand their feelings, we are studying the instruments, we have to secure the environment otherwise investment will not come. We will do our best for the country,” Shehu quoted the President as saying.
