The Ultimate Warriors of the Niger Delta, a new militant group operating from its namesake river delta, is demanding that the Nigerian government give 60 percent of oil and gas revenues to the people native to the Niger Delta region.
The group presented the order as a condition for a possible ceasefire after attacks it has committed, along with those perpetrated by the Niger Delta Avengers, have caused a 50 percent fall in national oil production.
‘Gen’ Sibiri Taiowoh, the group’s spokesperson, said on Wednesday that attacks on oil facilities would continue until the $16 billion Export Processing Zone and the Federal Maritime University projects that former President Goodluck Jonathan began had been fast-tracked for completion.
The next targets would be Chevron BOP, Okan Platform, MEREN Gas Gathering Compression Platform and the Chevron Tank Farm if the government did not meet the group’s demands within two weeks, according to the statement.
“We are also behind the recent pipeline bombing in the Niger Delta region and I can assure you we will not stop until the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) project and the Maritime University are totally completed and start operations,” the document read. “We would resist any attempt to give surveillance contracts of pipeline in our backyard to foreigners. We want the pipeline jobs to be given to our indigenous people.”
The group, which, like the Niger Delta Avengers, vows not to kill innocents and cause only property damage, also spoke out against what they consider to be the misdistribution of oil profits, as 80 percent of the money has been given to regions in non-oil producing areas.
Since the people of the Niger Delta suffer “the brunt of oil pollution and degradation in the region,” the group insists that residents should receive at least half of the oil profits.
The Niger Delta Avengers rejected an invitation by the government to negotiate a peace agreement this week and proceeded to blow up one of Chevron’s wells.