Niger Delta Militants (ABA) suspends its proposed declaration of independence of Niger Delta Republic

Nigeria: The Niger Delta militant group in southern Nigeria called the Adaka Boro Avengers (ABA) on Sunday said it has suspended its proposed Monday August 1 declaration of Niger Delta republic adding that it will however, continue with its mission to cripple the Nigerian economy and “will not stop until the Nigerian government is ready to sit on a roundtable to dialogue and to restructure Nigeria.”

The group also warned the Federal Government of Nigeria against engaging in any discussion with the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) describing them as “greedy fellows” who are only after “stipends.”

The group said its reason to declare independence from Nigeria was not for selfish reasons, adding that it was abandoned following appeals from the people of the region.

In a statement signed by its spokesman General Edmos Ayayeibo, the group said;

“We received calls from prominent leaders like Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Mrs. Ankio Briggs, Chief. E. K. Clark and especially King Alfred Diete Spiff calling on the freedom fighters to abort their mission to declare Niger Delta Republic.”

In the statement, its leader General Goddey is quoted as saying that the grievances of the group bores down on how “the Nigerian government has enslaved…the people of Niger Delta region.”

“We adhere to the voice of our people, because our struggle is for the Niger Delta people and not for selfish reason. But this is not the end. More is yet to come.

Our mission to cripple the economy of the Nigerian nation will not stop until the Nigerian government is ready to sit on a round table to dialogue and to restructure the Nigeria.

“Unless that, we will not stop until Nigeria becomes a zero economy. We are also saying this for the benefit of President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian government to stop wasting their time with those greedy fellows that call themselves MEND because nothing good will come out of them rather than sabotage.

Those old fools cannot stop us and they know it very well. We know what they are after is all about stipends.

“Everything they are saying, not even one will be accomplished. We will never agree with anything they say and henceforth MEND should watch their back because we have tolerated them for a very long time.

“Enough is enough, since they want to set confusion in the Niger Delta we will start from them.”

The group had on Sunday, July 17 issued a three-week notice of its intension to declare the Niger Delta republic on August 1.