LAGOS—THE Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF) has threatened to go ahead with what it tagged Operation Locust should talks with the Federal Government to resolve the problems besetting the Niger Delta fail. Mujahid Asari Dokubo, leader of the group and champion of the Niger Delta cause, told Vanguard that he was indeed holding talks with government in Abuja and that his group would go ahead with its plans if the talks failed.
Operation Locust, he said, would commence today all over Nigerian not only in the Niger Delta. “We will strike at the infrastructure of government anywhere in Nigeria. That was what was contained in our communiqué and we stand by it if negotiations fail. Even if I am arrested, you will be surprised by tomorrow morning, you will hear what would have happened in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States. We are not the only group operating, several groups are operating. People are so angry about what is happening and the betrayal of the governors of the Niger Delta,” he said.
In a separate agency interview, Dokubo said the only condition for peace was the convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC). The SNC, he said, would lead to all other things. “So, the main issue we are discussing is a convocation of SNC.”
He said contrary to reports making the rounds, he never issued a threat to anybody, and that what was issued was a communique released after a general session of the central command of the NDPVF, attended by 312 commanders from all over Ijaw land. “We issued a communiqué at the end of the session and the communiqué stated that foreign embassies should be asked to withdraw their nationals from the Niger Delta. If they refuse to do so, we will not be responsible for any harm that befalls them after the expiration of the date,” he explained.
Dokubo said President Obasanjo had been sending delegations to negotiate with his group in the last four months but that his group had refused to listen to them because whenever the delegation leaves, their positions would be attacked. “They will come and talk to us and the next week they will attack our positions. We felt that it was wrong; if it is going to be an all out thing, let them go all out, if they are going to kill us, let them kill us.”
On his safety in Abuja, Dokubo said before leaving Port Harcourt he and five of his colleagues had prepared their mind for the worst. “When we started this struggle, we knew that we may die one day. So, we will not be surprised if they want us dead here now. There is no problem. If they kill Asari, have they killed the struggle?” he queried.
“We got here and the government provided accommodation for us. But Ijaw and Rivers people in Abuja came and said Asari don’t stay in government accommodation. They took us to another quiet hotel and provided us with vehicles, computers, money and laundry services. They did all that for us on their own. As early as 4a.m., people started coming. They brought people to prepare our statement for us, to look at it, to make it strong and advise us. These are Ijaw from all walks of life including non-Ijaw, Urhobo and so on.”
Regarding funding of his operations, the Ijaw leader said his group got funds every week runnigd into millions of naira from Ijaw people all over the world. On his purported links with radical Islamic organisations, he said:
“How can an organisation that is more or less traditional; 99 per cent of Ijaw people not believe in Egbesu. Only a fraction, indicating less than one per cent of us believe in Christianity or Islam or even other persuasions. Ninety nine per cent of Ijaw fighters will not go out if they are not carrying Egbesu.
“I only admire and I repeat, I admire Osama bin Ladin. My last son is named after him. I admire him because he is confronting Western arrogance. The same way we are confronting the arrogance of the Nigerian state. So, there is similarity in our struggle.”
There are indications that the American government may have prevailed upon the Nigerian government to hold talks with the NDPVF, while impressing it upon the Nigerian authorities that a war in the Niger Delta could not be won without dire consequences for crude oil supply world wide.
Soldiers lay siege at Dokubo’s home
Meanwhile, Buguma, home of Dokubo was under military siege yesterday. Troops took over strategic positions at Bugama, a riverine ethnic Ijaw community, west of Port Harcourt. Visitors and vehicles were thoroughly screened by gun-wielding and fierce-looking soldiers at the main entrance of the town. A group of battle-ready soldiers with a machine guns was on guard to ensure that weapons were not smuggled into the troubled town. Most residents kept indoors, while a few others moved about in palpable fear of troops.
A commander of the troops in Buguma, Navy Lieutenant Commander Yakubu Agwom, said their mission was to secure the town after a series of armed attacks. “Don’t be surprised that you see soldiers everywhere. Before we came, armed gangs were terrorising everybody, killing, looting, raping women and burning houses. Our coming has restored peace to the town,” adding. “We will continue to stay around to forestall fresh attacks. In fact, a gang came in six boats last week and fled after succumbing to our superior fire power.”
Agwom said for the operation, code named “Operation Flush Out 3,” the Navy has speedboats that can reach any trouble spot within the shortest possible time: “There are over 500 creeks in the Niger Delta and our men are manning everywhere. Even the oil platforms are protected by our men.”
He said foreign oil companies in the region had no cause to worry. The Navy officer said patrol men recovered one body a few days ago after an attack suspected to have been launched by the Asari group on a passenger boat at Suku gas plant. “Four policemen were dispossessed of their rifles during the attack on the passenger boat,” he added, underlining that villagers have been cooperating with troops in their mission to dislodge the militants.
