Don’t dialogue with Niger Delta militants – Ex militant tells Buhari the way out
– Akpodoro urged President Buhari not to negotiate with militants as this may spike violence
– He said the country does not have the money to be paying militants
– He advised Tompolo to give himself up
Israel Akpodoro who is an ex-militant has advised President Muhammadu Buhari not dialogue with Niger Delta Avengers as this can create similar groups.
The Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for series of pipeline bombings in the region on the ground that it is agitating for a transformation.
READ ALSO: Give Buhari a chance – Ex-Mend members
The Nation reports that Akpodoro who is the president of the National Coalition of Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, (NCNDE-A) said in Abuja on Saturday, May 21 that any attempt to dialogue with the militants will only encourage more violence.
The former militant took a swipe at Chief Edwin Clark who urged President Buhari to negotiate with the militants. Akpodoro said Clark should have urged the militants to stop their violence attacks instead of asking the president to dialogue.
He asked Clark to produce Government Ekpemupolo, a.k.a. Tompolo who has been in hiding following a warrant issued for his arrest by the federal government.
He said the federal government could not continue to pay the youths in the region in the face of current economic challenges.
“The neo militant groups were directly under the command of accused Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo so those calling for dialogue should produce him to the FG before having the moral rectitude to call for dialogue.
“Acting like father to economic saboteurs and forming protective ring around criminals in the region won’t do us any good at this critical period of our nationhood.
“Hiding under the cloak of dialogue to part criminals on the back by giving them amnesty is a dubious thing to ask for.
READ ALSO: MEND dissociates from Niger Delta Avengers, Biafra groups
“How many times have youth in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Imo States blown up pipelines to stampede federal government into granting them amnesty?”
Akpodoro described the attackers of oil pipelines as evil doers who want to force the federal government into paying them amnesty.
Akpodoro stirred controversy when he claimed hat ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan created Niger Delta Avengers as a way of making Buhari’s administration unsuccessful
The post Don’t dialogue with Niger Delta militants – Ex militant tells Buhari the way out appeared first on Nigeria News today & Breaking news | Read on NAIJ.COM (Nigerian newspapers).