Niger Delta Militants Demand For Dasuki Release

A group that calls itself the joint revolutionary council of the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), and claims to be the ‘highest organ’ of “all the freedom fighting body” has declared ceasefire.

The Niger Delta group, which had earlier threatened to launch six missiles and to also shutdown the country’s airspace, said it decided to do otherwise after the federal government offered to dialogue.

But the JNDLF has insisted that government must comply with its demands if it wants peace...

Among the group’s demands is the immediate release of Sambo Dasuki, former National Security Adviser (NSA), reversal of the order to freeze the bank accounts of Tompolo, establishment of Maritime University in Okerenkoko, among others.

The group threatened “to go after” Niger Delta governors, “if they betray the region”.

“We shall continue to engage in dialogue if our demands are met. Our representatives for the dialogue, especially the governors and others will not betray our demands with the federal government. Any betrayal on their own part shall be viewed as betrayal of the entire region and we shall go after them immediately as they know our mode of operation in which they will not escape from us,” JNDLF said in a statement.

They boasted, “There is no gainsaying that we made our earlier promise to launch six missiles simultaneously against some targeted areas. But this was waved aside as a result of appeals made to us through email by the federal government and some international nations to open talks with Buhari.

“We saw some genuine aspiration on the part of Buhari, who made several contacts to us to see reason with them over the issue of under-development of the region. And since he (Buhari) had set the ball rolling for a clear negotiation with us, there is no problem without solution. We have therefore declared ceasefire in order to negotiate with the government if it is a true reflection of what they have in mind to develop the Niger Delta region.”