Niger Delta Avengers goes underground

WARRI —MEMBERS of Niger Delta Avengers,
largely an Ijaw militant group, which admitted
bombing oil and gas installations in Delta
State, recently, have gone underground
following a massive manhunt for them by the
Army, Navy and other security agencies.
President Muhammadu Buhari had recently
given a marching order to the military to
crush the group.
The group, which had boasted, May 5, in a
statement by its spokesperson, Madoch
Agbinibo, that it was on ground and neither
the Federal Government nor ex-militant
leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias
Tompolo, could stop it from crippling the
nation’s economy, was reported to have
tactically retreated to fight another day.
A source told Vanguard: “People say the
headquarters of Niger Delta Avengers is in
Delta State. I do not think so, but I know that
they have their network of information
gathering and are conscious of the directive
by President Buhari to security agencies to
crush the militant group.”
Incommunicado
The unrepentant group, whose strike teams
blew up Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC and Chevron Nigeria
Limited, CNL, facilities, last week, has also not
responded to mail inquiries by our reporters
since Sunday.
The group's other channels of communication
have also been shut down, an indication that
it has temporarily gone out of circulation.
Security agencies, groups deepen efforts
Vanguard, however, learned that security
operatives, who are collaborating with some
Niger Delta groups, had obtained information
on the identities of some members of the
group and would likely pick some of their
family members to force them out of hiding.
The Niger Delta Riverine Security (Coast Guard
of the Federation) headed by Commander Bibi
Oduku, is one of such groups working closely
with relevant security agencies to bring
members of Niger Delta Avengers to face the
full wrath of the law.
Commander Oduku told Vanguard: “Niger
Delta Avengers is a criminal and devilish
group, which is interested, in crippling
economic activities in the Niger Delta and
Nigeria. I advise Niger Delta youths not to
fraternize with these criminals.”