Niger Delta Militant Warns Ahead Of Alleged Armed Herdsmen Attack On Delta State

Following the alleged threat by suspected armed militants, a new militant group in Niger delta called Movement for the Emancipation and Defence of Niger Delta, MEDND, on Monday, threatened that for anyone killed or facility destroyed in Delta State by suspected Northern fanatics in the name of herdsmen, its fighters would retaliate.

Meanwhile, the leader of Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned that the South will resist any attempt to deride it over the recent ban on open grazing declared by the region’s governors.

This came as Urhobo Youth Leaders’ Association, UYLA, issued a 48- hour quit notice to all Fulani herdsmen to immediately stop open grazing and take away their cattle from the Delta Central senatorial district.

Also, National Association of Polytechnic Students, NAPS, has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to address the alleged Fulani herdsmen’s threat to attack Asaba and Agbor.

On his part, Delta State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Ali, Sunday night, assured residents of the state of their safety.

It would be recalled that herdsmen had threatened in a letter, on Sunday, to attack Asaba and Agbor, Delta State, over Governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s support for the ban on open grazing in the Southern part of the country.

The herdsmen had also vowed to carry out their threat if Okowa does not withdraw his support for the ban on open grazing within 72 hours.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach the state government for reaction at press time proved abortive.

Meanwhile, reacting to the three-day warning to the governor, MEDND in a statement said: “Our attention has been brought to the threat of some herdsmen, who have given a three- day warning to the Governor of Delta State because he supported the ban of open grazing across the southern states.

“We also saw your taking responsibility for an explosion at the secretariat in Asaba. We are warning that if your threat is made to come to fulfilment, no herdsman will ever exist across the Niger Delta and all oil facilities linked to your people will be brought down. If one soul is lost, 10 of your souls will pay for it. If one facility is destroyed, 10 owned by you will be destroyed.

“We will respond proportionately 10 times whatever you give, the corresponding response will not be limited to the Delta, it may be with your politicians or with your rulers.

“We will launch three rocket launchers and ballistic missiles at any facility of our choice as a warning in seven days if you make bold your threats.

“We do not make cheap our threats, we have shut down the country and we can at any time shut you down. We are the Niger Delta, we stand for the interest of the Niger Delta and we will not allow any coward to threaten us. We fight without running.”