TheCable

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) militant group has threatened to “bring down” oil installations in the south-south, after accusing the federal government of marginalising the region.

NDA, which started operations in 2016, attacked oil-producing facilities that led to a huge decline in Nigeria’s oil production.

In a statement on Saturday, the militants announced the launch of ‘Operation Humble, a new mission to resume the attacks.

They said the south-south remains the most underdeveloped region in the country, with their needs and interests “undermined by the failed Nigerian State.”

The statement read: “There is no gainsaying that the failed country called Nigeria which has fed fat on our God-given wealth is at the brink of total disintegration, owing to the security and related challenges across the country; ranging from terrorism and banditry in the North, to the secessionist gongs of the Oduduwa people of the South-west and IPOB of the South-east.

“It is obvious that peace in the Niger Delta, and by extension, the South-South geopolitical region is the very thin piece still binding this country together.

“It is disheartening that despite being the economic backbone and having resolved to maintain the peaceful environment for the smooth operations of the oil multinationals whose proceeds the country cling unto for economic survival, the Niger Delta and the South-South remain the most underdeveloped, with our needs and interests undermined by the failed Nigerian State.

“This operation shall be coded ‘Operation Humble’, aimed at bringing down targeted oil installations in the Niger Delta Region, capable of humbling the economy into permanent recession.”

It accused the federal government of not carrying out their demands and failing to address Nigeria’s security challenges “because the pipelines that crisscross our lands are left untouched, allowing dollars to flow into the Federal treasury on a daily basis for mismanagement.”

“We shall spare no single oil installation within our range of strategic targets marked for destruction in the coming days and we bet the Nigerian Government will be humbled to return to the drawing board and chart an all-inclusive course by the time we are done with our action plan,” the group said.