The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has, in no uncertain terms, expressed its desire to secede from the Nigerian union, saying that the ship called Nigeria is sinking and everybody is tired of it.

The NDA also accused President Muhammadu Buhari of lying to his foreign allies, his citizens, as it insisted that even if it were going to dialogue, it would be in the presence of the international community.

The Avengers’ reaction is coming on the heels of a recent arrest of one Prince David and Felix Ebiador, which the Commanding Officer NNS, Commodore Joseph Dzunve claimed to be members of the Avengers.

In a statement titled: “Stop going after soft targets”, NDA claimed it doesn’t know Prince David and Felix Ebiador. “They are not part of us. All NDA operatives are intact. No security operative has arrested any of our members,” the group asserted.

It said what the Commanding officer of NNS Delta is doing was to please his boss (Buhari) and show that he is working. “Must he connect innocent people to us? Very soon the general public will know the truth about Nigeria military, especially the Navy that specialises in illegal oil bunkering,” it said.

The group further urged the government to stop arresting innocent people in the name of looking for NDA operatives, saying it’s obvious that the Navy is incapable of policing the nation’s maritime space.

They also warned people to stop associating Tompolo with them, saying: “He is our enemy, as the Nigerian government and those innocent boys paraded as NDA operatives are not part of us.

“From intelligence gathering by NDA agency, there are other people sent by the Nigerian government to sabotage the genuine struggle of liberating the Niger Delta people. The government knows those people. The so-called saboteurs take part in pipeline bombing by using some members of the defunct MEND.”

On its desire to secede, NDA wrote, “The government should heed our demand of self-determination. Mr. President, everybody is tired of this thing called Nigeria. The ship called Nigeria is grounded right now and you are so confused. You lied to your foreign allies and your citizens on daily basis. Mr. President, you even lie to yourself.”

•Sourced from The Guardian. Photo shows Niger Delta militants.

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