A group, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, has reacted to an alleged move by the federal government to hire Saudi mercenaries to tackle militancy in the Niger Delta region, warning that such action would only embolden aggrieved youths and cause them to better equip themselves for future fight.
In a statement jointly signed by its national president and spokesman, Austin Ozobo and Daniel Ezekiel, the group said: “We want to reiterate that bombing Niger Delta communities or wasting $258million to hire fighters to fight the Niger Delta Avengers will not stop Niger Delta quest for self-determination. Rather, it will aggravate and teach aggrieved youths better warfare and how to go about acquiring modern equipment to fight back tomorrow.”
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The statement continued, “We wonder why the government is so bent on wasting such huge amount of money to hire fighters from Saudi Arabia to fight a region that has fed the country for the past 58 years. We are also surprised at the president’s decision to hire his Muslim allies to fight Niger Delta people.”
IPDI asked: “Why not Nigeria soldiers? What happened to the 100 gunboats, 5 warships and 3 fighter jets earlier deployed to the creeks to fight Niger Delta Avengers, which turned into a venture of intimidating innocent people and invading communities?”
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