The Niger Delta Avengers, a militant in Nigeria’s South-South region says it expects a genuine and positive attitude to restructuring and self-determination for every component unit of Nigeria.

In an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the group, which has claimed responsibility for most attacks on oil facilities in the region, pointed out that it had “listened carefully and halted hostilities in the Niger Delta”, but claimed that ongoing military operations in the creeks of Ijaw communities in the Delta were pre-determined genocide in the Niger Delta.

The letter published on the militants’ website read: “We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to put away the garb of a stooge to the imperialists, whenever he speaks outside Nigeria.

“Dear president, what makes those countries (Japan, Germany, France, USA, Britain etc.) great is the ability of their governments to accommodate internal protestations and conflicts for the greater good of their nations over the years.

“Please, stop presenting your government as pawn to the web of military industrialists complex, whenever you leave the shores of Nigeria.

“Nigeria is not a one-man personal property we must have these talks every time if this union must continue to work as one.

“The people of the Niger Delta have been living here from time immemorial, so we have the secret of the terrain and survival of amphibious operations.

“No amount of troop surge and simulation exercises will make you win the oil war, you can only win battles.

“You cannot apply the might of the state to restore the people’s confidence in your leadership when you cannot differentiate between genuine demands and being mismanaged by disorganised characters and tribal lords around you in your government that are playing the court jesters role as well as counting the days that is left in your four-year term.

“You can deceive the whole world but We cannot be deceived by the so glamorized ongoing military operations in the creeks Of Ijaw communities in the Delta coded ” Operation Crocodile Smiles”… the world should know that with your pronouncement in Kenya and your attitude to the military build-up in the Niger Delta, it is crystal clear that the military has nothing less than a pre-determined genocide in Niger Delta and burn more already scared national resources to the pockets of those that have failed to locate the missing Chibok School Girls”.

In the letter the group further claimed that the military operation code named Operation Crocodile Smile betrayed the President’s attitude and motive about the Niger Delta question.

•Text courtesy of Channels TV. Photo shows Niger Delta militants.

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