The Presidential Amnesty Office has begun the distribution of relief materials to Niger Delta communities affected by the recent flood.
He said that the exercise which started last Saturday will last for one week, with a focus on communities mostly hit by the flood.
Dokubo said that the gesture was aimed at providing succor for the residents of the affected communities who had lived in terrible conditions since their homes and sources of livelihood were destroyed by the flood.
According to him;
“the Amnesty Programme is meant for the people of Niger Delta and whatever affects communities in the region affects us directly or indirectly. President Muhammadu Buhari was moved by reports on your plight and we are here to identify with you in your period of need; we are here to alleviate your pains.”
Among the items distributed to the beneficiaries were rice, beans, indomie, groundnut oil, maggi, tomato, and detergents. Others were bathing soap, disinfectants, and medicals.
He said that in Bayelsa State, relief materials are being distributed in Adagbabiri, Odi, Trofani, Kaiama, Esampou, Zarama, Ogbeinbiri, and other communities, Opuama, Ofunama, Shekelewu, Ogbudugbudu, Arogbo, Safa-Arogbo, Agadagba Obon, Ajakoroama, Opugbini while several others in Edo and Ondo States would also benefit from the scheme.
Militants from the Niger Delta region of the country, yesterday, picked holes in President Muhammadu Buhari’s New Year speech, saying he did not show sign of seriousness.
The agitators said Buhari’s speech on January 1 did not show that his government was not ready to implement the agreement reached with the Pan Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, and even the 25-point palliatives of the Federal Government.
Under the aegis of 21st Century Youth of Niger Delta, the agitators, in a statement by the spokesperson, W O I Izon Ebi said: “We want to warn that the days of rhetorics and empty promises are over in the Niger Delta because we are equally aware of the plan and reason behind the one billion dollars excess crude withdrawal. The 21st Century Youth of the Niger Delta and the amalgamation of agitators with conscience disagree with Mr. President’s New Year speech because there is no sincerity, action plan and commitment to truly implement the agreement reached with PANDEF and its own 25-point palliatives, rather than verbal commendation.
“The 21st Century Youth of the Niger Delta and the amalgamation of agitators with conscience reject President Buhari’s 2018 Greek gift of mockery and deceit to the people of the Niger Delta region. You cannot criminalise our bravest, the symbol of peace in the Niger Delta, intimidate and insult our distinguished elders with impunity and expect us to keep quiet, as if the Niger Delta has been conquered, thereby making us slaves and inferiors to the North.
“We reject it and demand the immediate withdrawal of all trumped up corruption charges against the voice of the voiceless, philanthropist, human rights activist, and the symbol of peace in the Niger Delta, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.”
“We equally demand an unreserved apology to the leadership of PANDEF if President Buhari means well for the people of the Niger Delta and truly appreciates the efforts and sacrifices of our distinguished elders, political leaders and stakeholders, who put in all energy to sustain the prevailing peace that the government is currently enjoying. The peace it has used to exploit us the more without anything to show for in the Niger Delta region since the inception of this administration till date,” they said.
They cautioned: “Any planned attempt to invade any community in the Niger Delta in any guise or any planned assassination attempt against Tompolo will be resisted with devastating consequences for the brutality meted out on our distinguished father, Pa Ekpemupolo, which led to the amputation of his leg and his untimely death is still fresh in our minds.
“We, therefore, call on the International Community, United States, United Nations, Nigerian Senate, ex-Presidents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, political, religious leaders and all stakeholders, to prevail on President Buhari to redirect all plans against Niger Deltans to the Fulani herdsmen that have become more deadly and sophisticated Boko Haram terrorists.”
“This is because our agitation in the Niger Delta is for equity and justice. We cannot be in the midst of plenty and be impoverished with devastation and pollution that has cut short the life expectancy of Niger Deltans and still be treated with verbal promises and rhetorics as if we have been conquered and made slaves in our land because of our God-given resources,” the activists said.
The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru, has appealed to Niger Delta Avengers to be patient with the Federal Government.
Uguru made the appeal while noting that government was committed to doing whatever it needs to do “and can do” to sustain peace in the oil rich region.
The Minister was reacting to threat by the militant group that they will resume attacks on oil facilities in the region.
Addressing State House Correspondents on Monday, Uguru said, “My message is not just verbal but it has been demonstrated at all times. We have been appealing with them, Avengers, to just be patient with us, because, most of the time, the issues that are brought up are those that tend to portray the quest for development of the region.
“And that is all we have been doing; these issues raised genuinely to the benefits of people of the region are being attended to.
“For instance, the Okerekoko University, you are aware that the vice-president has directed that that University must take off. And he also directed that a minimum of N5 billion be budgeted for the take off of the university so, it’s a matter of patience knowing that some of these things have a procedure.
“So, it will not be because it did not happen the way they wanted, so it will not happen. Everything has a phase of planning and a phase of execution.
“We would advise all of us to remain calm and see the things that we agitated for coming little by little.
“I just talked about the University. The other issue is the communities being part of surveillance of the petroleum infrastructure in the region.
“And of course you know that by the modular refineries which they had also talked about as sub-sect of how they can be engaged instead of what is called illegal refineries, they are also on, because the process of building a refinery or even getting the necessary procedures to establish such is not just a one day business.”
The Nigerian Army has announced that Exercise CROCODILE SMILE II will commence on Friday.
The Army said the exercise which will “span across three Divisions of the Nigerian Army, 2,6 and 81” is in line with the training of troops in the “conduct of Internal Security Operations.”
A statement by the Director Army Public Relations, Col Sani Usman, added that Exercise CROCODILE SMILE II was “based on Constitutional provisions.”

Recall that the Army had last year launched the operation in the Niger Delta region of the country.
The statement reads, “The Exercise, set to span across 3 Divisions of the Nigerian Army (2, 6 and 81 Divisions), is in line with the 2017 Training Directives which aims at training troops in the conduct of Internal Security Operations in aid of Civil Authorities across the various formations’ areas of responsibilities, based on Constitutional provisions.
“It will be recalled that last year, between November and December 2016, Exercise CROCODILE SMILE I was conducted within the Niger Delta States to curtail prevailing security challenges then. These challenges include illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and militancy amongst others. Exercise CROCODILE SMILE II is specifically designed to further the gains and consolidate on the successes of Exercise CROCODILE SMILE I.
“Additionally, with the operationalization of 6 Division Nigerian Army, earlier in the year, the need to exercise troops in an amphibious environment makes it expedient to hold Exercise CROCODILE SMILE II. Moreover, this exercise will complement the on-going Exercise EGWU EKE II in the South-Eastern part of the country.
“Let us not be quick to forget the scenario in which these exercises are carried out. EGWU EKE II became expedient due to the mindless assassinations (even in religious places), attack on security personnel, theft of weapons, armed banditry, kidnapping and cultism, among other security challenges. In a similar vein, security challenges in the South West and Niger Delta geo-political regions such as illegal oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism, cultism, kidnapping, militancy and other challenges are becoming rampant.
“The need for troops to sharpen their skills to cope with these security challenges within the 2, 6 and 81 Divisions’ Area of Responsibilities calls for the conduct of Exercise CROCODILE SMILE II. Also, in actualizing the Chief of Army Staff’s vision, which is to ‘To have a Professionally Responsive Nigerian Army in the Discharge of its Constitutional Roles’, accentuates the call for the conduct of this exercise in conjunction with sister services and other security agencies.
“This exercise will therefore be conducted with the involvement of other security agencies such as the Nigerian Police and Nigeria Security, Department of State Services, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Nigeria Customs Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, just to mention a few.
“EXERCISE CROCODILE SMILE II is also conceptualized to leverage on real time intelligence to curtail insecurity, thereby fulfilling both training and operational objectives.
“Accordingly, Exercise Headquarters would be established in the field to facilitate open communication between members of the public and exercising troops. Emphasis will be placed on raids, cordon and search operations, anti-kidnapping drills, road blocks, check points and other amphibious operations. Community support activities such as medical outreaches will also feature prominently during the Exercise.
“In this regard, members of the public are enjoined not to panic on seeing the movement of military equipment and troops to staging areas as their safety and well-being is guaranteed at all times. The public is also requested to remain vigilant, security conscious and report suspected criminals who will likely flee the military exercise areas to find safe haven among communities.
“Contact phone numbers of all Brigade Commanders in the exercise areas would be made public in addition to the Nigerian Army short code Information and call Centre 193. You are please requested to disseminate this information to the public through your medium.”
Niger Delta leaders, under the auspices of the Pan Niger Delta Peoples Congress (PNDPC) has again disassociated themselves from the Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Peoples Forum (PANDEF), saying they are meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, to present a new template for lasting peace in the region.
The PNDPC, a new body, reportedly mandated by the coalition of Niger Delta agitators, youths and people of the region to speak with the Federal Government on behalf of the region, said the meeting with the presidency would hold this month.
At a meeting held at the palace of Ibedaowei of Opokuma Kingdom, King Okpoitari Diongoli, in Opokuma, Bayelsa State, yesterday, the National Chairman, PNDPC, Charles Ayemi-Botu, said the new body was put in place to fight for the people of the region through dialogue with the presidency.
Ayemi-Botu, who is a former national chairman of traditional rulers of oil minerals producing communities of Nigeria and paramount ruler of Seimbiri kingdom, said the body was out with a new focus.The PNDPC boss stated: ‘’This is an all-encompassing Niger Delta people, who in consonance with our sons and daughters, agitating in the creeks, have come together to see how we can provide a lasting solution to the age-long marginalisation and problems of the region.
‘’This body is independent of any other body. We have set up a strategic planning committee and after a month, we are now ready with our own vision and mission. We have just gone through it, circulated it among our members and in our subsequent meeting, we are going to adopt it and the world we know what we stand for.’’
In his remarks, the National Coordinator of the new body, Chief Mike Loyibo, said the body was not out to fight any group but to advance the peace, security and development of the region.
Loyibo stated: ‘‘our mission is to see how we can advance the fulcrum of the Niger Delta people.‘’We are not a political party, we have activists, clergy men, opinion leaders and we came together when we realised that there was a problem about leadership.’’
Meanwhile, a retired Police Commissioner, Chief Ayo Aduba, has said that the Federal Government and the military overreacted by tagging the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) a terrorist group.
According to him, the decision of the Federal Government to isolate IPOB and tagging it a terrorist group would further polarize the country and that is not good enough for its continued existence. He said: “The Federal Government should have treated the IPOB issue in a civil manner.”
He disclosed that under Internal Security Operations, the military is overstepping its bounds as it concerns the IPOB and Boko Haram issues because; it cannot profile and release a suspect. The right thing the military should have done is to hand over the suspect to the police. Anything short of this would amount to the military usurping the functions of the police on the issue of internal security of the country, he added.
A Niger Delta group, Kombot-Egbema & Gbaramatu Graduates Association, has threatened to shutdown the operations of Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) over what it tagged as alleged use of cheap labour.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Yabrade Moses, its president, the group gave the company 48 hours to upgrade the status of its members from trainee to “permanent staff” or risk having its operations in the region shut down.
According to Moses, some of its members had been retained as trainees for four years, which it added was a plot by Chevron to continue using cheap labour.
“We undersigned for and on behalf of Kombot-Egbema & Gbaramatu Graduates Association wish to emphatically state that Chevron Nigeria Limited should within 48 hours confirm the VTP5/OTP2, VTP6 operator/maintenance trainees of Chevron Nigeria Limited as permanent staff or face a mass action that might cripple their operations in Egbema and Gbaramatu kingdom which are host to CNL.
The trainees are since overdue for conversion to permanent staff basis after 18 months, rather they are still being retained as trainees on the job as a means of cheap labour, for the past four years, which is totally unacceptable to us,” the statement read.
“The trainees should be regularized as soon as possible to avoid the inevitable danger awaiting Chevron Nigeria Limited due the company’s management nonchalant attitudes towards the reclassification of the trainees as staff, the non-intake of the 2014 awaiting batch and other crucial employment issues.
It is on record that series of letters have been written and meetings held with CNL, government representatives and security agents as regards the conversion of VTP5/OTP2 trainees and other employment issues but CNL kept mute and has instead converted those trainees termed “national” from Agbami field to permanent staff long ago leaving our indigenes on “community” angle as slave labourers.
“On this note, we are embarking on a mass action against CNL in solidarity with our brothers that are been used as cheap labour any moment from now. Except their conversion to permanent staff is confirmed and our employment deficiency addressed within 48 hours as to avert the impending action. The issue of contract extension should not be mentioned again, if CNL wants to maintain peace in their host communities of operation”, it added.
Former Niger Delta militants leader, Alhaji Asari Dokubu has reacted to the sack of Igbos from the North, urging all “Biafran people” in the north to defend themselves in case any attack from the Northern youths.
Recall that the call for Igbos to vacate the northern region was made by some sections of northern youths during the week, and has generated reactions from prominent individuals and groups all over the country.
Although, those that made the call have retracted it, the ex- militant leader noted that every Biafran, who according to him, comprise of the Ijaw, Ogonis, Oron, and Ibibios must not lie down and die when attacked.
Asari noted that Igbo people do not invade people’s lands, nor take their properties and wondered why the call to evict them should be made. “My brothers and Sisters, fellow Biafrans, our struggle is for independence.
Let me say this to Biafran People, our struggle is not to take from any other people. We have not travelled to the North, Lagos, Ibadan to take from any other people. “They are the ones who have been taken from us.
In our entire struggle for the actualization of the Independent State of Biafra, we have not invaded other people’s land. We have always reacted strength to strength. “We have the right to defend our lives; we have the rights to defend our properties and we have the right to defend motherland.
In the defense of the motherland, we have made some great sacrifices. “For me the Biafra struggle is not limited to one of the nationalities in Biafran land. It is the struggle of the Ibibios, the Ogonis, Oron, the Ijaws, and all the Biafran people. It is our collective struggle and collective destiny.
Our resources are being wasted. She will scream your name! 2 most powerful ways to last 30mins & satisfy any woman during sex revealed “It is not even used to develop any part of this so-called Nigerian state.
Where is Nigeria developed? Can you compare any part of Nigeria to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, or Pitoria? Or Cairo or Alexandra? The only way we can get control our resources is the independent of the Biafra state.”
Arrest of Notorious Niger Delta Avenger Militant and Kidnapper Anthony Pepple AKA “Urban Gorrilla” and other members of his Kidnapping syndicate, known for targeting Medical Doctors and Pharmacists in Port-Harcourt by Nigerian Police.
After several reported cases of kidnapping in Port Harcourt, IGP Ibrahim K Idris Instructed to the Intelligence Response Team IRT to bring an end to the menace of this syndicate.
On 01/04/17 at about 1500hrs, after diligence and pains taking Intelligence gathering and analysis and Technical support from TIU, Operatives of IGP- Intelligence Response Team IRT deployed to Port-Harcourt arrested one Saheed Adekunle aka ‘Black Devil’ 27yrs ‘M’ of Ede south L.G.A of Osun State. Black Devil who resides in Port-Harcourt confessed to be introduced into Kidnapping by one Tony in 2016 and gave valuable information that led to the arrest of the Overall Gang leader Anthony Pepple aka ‘Urban Gorrilla’ 42yrs ‘M’ of Bonny LGA of Rivers state, a very educated former staff of SAIPEM a Multinational Oil Servicing Company,
He worked with the Company both in Nigeria and Abu-Dabi UAE. Upon his arrest, Anthony Pepple confessed to be a key member of the Niger Delta Avengers blowing pipelines, masterminded the cold blooded murder of one Soboma George a militant commander in 2009, and also confessed to being the Kingpin of a Kidnap Syndicate that was known for targeting Medical Doctors and Pharmacist amongst other unsuspecting innocent members of the public in Port-Harcourt since 2015 collecting his ransoms in tens of millions of Naira. Following his confession.
IGP-Intelligence Response Team IRT in a mop up operation that lasted about 72hours, seven (7) More members of the Notorious syndicate where arrested and they all confessed to be part of the kidnap syndicate and the roles they played.
Other Comfirmed members arrested include,
1) Hillary Wogu ‘m’ 41yrs of Etche L.G.A of Rivers State confessed to taking part in some of the operation.
2)Ogbungbada Chima ‘m’ 36yrs of Rumualogu village in Obio-Akpor L.G.A of Rivers State has maintained a steady communication with a member of the syndicate in Port-Harcourt maximum prison organising operation.
3) Chief Aghara Emmanuel Lobito ‘m’ 31yrs was Coronated in December 2014 by His Royal Highness Chukwuemeka Consider Nwafor of Awka Anambra State but resident in Woji Town Port-Harcourt as Chief Eze Lobito Emmanuel Aghara Alusi of Nwanne Di-Namba Port-Harcourt branch, the Chief provided the Nissan Pathfinder And the Nissan Xterra that was use for some of the syndicate operations.
4) Lucky Gospel Marako ‘m’ 36yrs of Tombia community Degema L.G.A of Rivers State confessed to have taken part in many of the syndicate’s operations.
5) Igbiki Sokari ‘m’ 38yrs of Tombia community Degema L.G.A of Rivers State confessed to have taken part in four Kidnappings,
6) Dokubo Victor Ipalibo ‘m’ 28yrs of Kula community in Akuku Toru L.G.A of Rivers State confessed that himself and Tony started the Kidnapping business and he introduced four members of the gang to the group but Resigned.
7) Okwudili Pascal ‘m’ 41yrs of Ezira in Orumba South LGA of Anambra State is a plumber with a shop along East-West road by Akpajo Port-Harcourt, his role is to bring information to Kidnappers on any of his client that he did a plumbing job for and feels that his client has money so that they will be Kidnap.
8) Candy Ndubisi Nwankwo ‘m’ 30yrs of Obokwe Community in Ngor Kpala LGA Imo state was the syndicate’s amourer, when he sense that his gang members are being picked by the IRT Operatives he ran to Ngor-Okpalla in Imo state where he was traced and on sighting operatives of the IRT, he opened fire thereafter Operatives Returned fire and fatally wounded the Kidnapper.
Some of the notorious syndicate’s antecedents include the Kidnapping of
Dr. Silas Nwachukwu a Surgeon and a Director of Capino Pharmacy at Rumuomasi Kidnap August 2015.
Pharmacist Mrs. Joy Enuvie Akpokobje ‘f’ 63yrs Director Tejod Pharmacy No.115 Uniport road Choba Kidnap on 8/11/2016 along NTA Uniport road.
Pharmacist Onomake Monday ‘m’ 52yrs Director of Larmack Pharmacy No.166 Uniport road Choba Kidnap on 23/2/2015 at his Pharmacy also along NTA Uniport road.
Dr. Patience Iduh ‘f’ 48yrs a Lab Scientist with N.N.P.C Port-Harcourt kidnapped on 13/1/2017 in Elelewon,
Professor Rosemund Dienye Green Osahogulu former Vice Chancellor of Ignatuis Ajuru University of Education Port-Harcourt Iwofe, She was Kidnapped while driving along Iwofe road on 18/6/2015 amongst other numerous kidnapping mention by the suspects.
Exhibits recovered from the syndicate are one AK47 rifle with bridge No. 4398 and three(3) vehicles; two(2) SUV’s and a volkswagen golf used for their kidnapping operations. Serious Effort is still ongoing to recover more arms and ammunition.
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