By Chioma Godwin
The coalition of Niger-delta agitators, have called on Nigeria’s President; Muhammadu Buhari, to arrest Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, for their recent engagements and utterances in relation to the menace of banditry, kidnapping and herdsmen violent attacks that is ravaging the country.
The group also warned that it would commence attack on all oil and gas pipelines that goes to the northern Nigeria if the recent threat to stop food supplies from the north to the southern part of the country is not withdrawn within 30 days. And also added they would block all tankers and other vehicles from loading petroleum products to the north.
In a jointly signed statement by General John Duke, General Ekpo Ekpo, General Osarolor Nedam, Major-Gen. Henry Okon Etete, Major-Gen. Asukwo Henshaw, Major-Gen. Ibizabo Horstall, Major-Gen. Duke Emmanson, Major-Gen. Inibeghe Adams, Major-Gen. Abiye Tariah, Major-Gen. Joshua Ebere, Major-Gen. Jeremiah Anthony, Major Francis Okoroafor, and Colonel Nelson Okochi, the Coalition said; Rising from a joint Emergency General Meeting of the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators (CNDA), comprising all the major militant groups in the niger delta, the Coalition has called for the immediate arrest of Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed as they seem to be the financiers of Banditry and Herdsmen criminality in the country.
“The Coalition also condemned all forms of negotiation with bandits, gun-carrying herdsmen, kidnappers and boko haram leaders who have been terrorizing innocent citizens across the country in recent times, declaring that such acts amount to nothing short of criminality. The Coalition has also frowned at recent outbursts and suggestions by some prominent figures from the northern part of the country, calling on the northerners to be well armed with guns to defend themselves.
“The Coalition considers it very erroneous to compare bandits, boko haram members and herdsmen who are not pursuing any just cause than to kill, maim and destroy lives and properties in the country, to niger delta militants who have over the years been subjected to suffering, discrimination and deprivation in their own land, while their resources are exploited and used for the development of other regions in the country.
“It is therefore out of place to seek amnesty for killers and abductors of innocent school children and citizens simply because some militants in the niger delta had been given some form of amnesty. And despite all the negotiations for the release of the kidnapped persons and payments of ransom, kidnappings seem to be on the increase.
“For Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi to accept in the first place to negotiate with “terrorists” who are enemies of the Nigerian state, and also recommend that government should grant the criminals amnesty for no just or reasonable cause, means that he is an integral part of the group.
“It is quite appalling to learn that Sheikh Gumi was even very furious with journalists for reporting the nefarious activities of these bandits and even went on to brand journalists “criminals” for stressing on the criminality of the bandits.
“Interestingly, since the acclaimed leader of the bandits, Kachalla Halilu Subibu Seno, has consistently addressed himself as the “leader of all terrorists”, which other names need to be given to a group of self-styled terrorists who have been involved in high-profile kidnappings, raping, killings and destruction of properties of innocent citizens across the nation, other than being regarded as criminals and enemies of the state?
“After carefully watching this “naked dance” displayed by the likes of Sheikh Gumi, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, Bauchi ex-Governor Isa Yuguda, and some other northern elites, the Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators is compelled to believe that the northerners are using the kidnappings of innocent citizens to make money.
“It is very clear that the northerners are using the federal government which is led by a northerner to rape the country’s commonwealth which belongs to all citizens of the country.
“Sheikh Gumi’s latest actions and utterances already suggest and indict him first as the grand patron and major financier of Banditry in Nigeria.
“Secondly, recommending that the bandits who have no just and concrete demands for government to meet, apart from receiving ransoms for kidnappings, means that this is a conduit pipe developed by the bandits to siphon the country’s treasury.
“Recall that in October 2012, following the Chibok girls kidnapping, the current President Muhammadu Buhari, was named by the Boko Haram leadership as one of their mediators with the Jonathan government, but he (Buhari) promptly refused, citing the reason that he did not know the boko haram group, and what they were fighting for. This is exactly what the Sheikh Gumi would have done if he was contacted to mediate for the bandits, and not to speak for and support them.
“In a more civilized society administered by true democrats and those who do not pay only lip service to the governance of the nation, these culprits would have been immediately arrested and prosecuted for these crimes.
“Finally we wish to state here for the avoidance of any doubt, that “no ethnic group or geo-political area in this country has the monopoly of violence”. We are aware that the northerners have begun the stoppage of movement of food items to the southern part of the country.
“We hereby give the northerners a 30-day ultimatum from today to withdraw that threat, otherwise we shall retaliate by cutting off all the oil pipelines supplying oil and gas to the entire northern Nigeria, and block all tankers and other vehicles from loading products to the north. Additionally, we shall make sure that oil licenses belonging to the northerners are forcefully revoked after the expiration of this ultimatum. Enough is Enough!”
