Following the killing of two soldiers and four civilian staff attached to a houseboat belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Ejere creek in Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have denied their involvement in the dastardly act.
This is just as the group has hinted that it has been able to dip Nigeria Oil production from 2 million barrels to just 800,000 barrels per day without shedding blood.
The group denied its involvement in the attack in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Mudoch Agbinibo, and posted on its website late Thursday night.
It stated that its modus operandi does not include snuffing lives out of “sleeping soldiers,” saying it would keep to its promise not to shed blood in the process of liberating its people from the shackles of the Nigerian state.
“The Niger Delta Avengers were not involved in the attack of the Military houseboat around Warri, Delta State.
“Killing of sleeping soldiers is not our style. We promise the world that in this process of liberating our people, not a single blood of Nigeria soldiers will be wasted despite the provocation.
“Even the Inhumane Nigeria soldiers are exempted, our war is on oil installations not to take innocent lives.
“For the fact we can’t give Life, we also don’t have the power to take any life,” the group stated.
However, the group has promised families of the deceased to bring the attackers to book wherever they may be hiding in the creeks.
It vowed never to shed the blood of innocent Nigerian soldiers unless they fired the first shot.
“But we (Avengers) are assuring the Families of the affected soldiers that we will bring the culprits to book.
“When it’s time to face the military in combat let the whole world know that we won’t be the ones to throw the first punch,” the group noted.
The group warned all so-called groups fighting for the emancipation of their people to eschew killing innocent souls as well as other forms of criminality such as kidnapping.
“This message is going to all groups parading themselves as freedom fighters. You can fight for your people without killing innocent souls NDA have proved it.
It hinted that “We were able to drop Nigeria Oil production from 2million Barrels to just 800,000 barrels without killing a soul.
The group has also admonished other freedom fighters to follow its footsteps, saying “We are warning every group to follow our footsteps. The days of Killing and Kidnapping are over.”
It will be recalled that two soldiers and four civilians were killed last Wednesday night at Ejere creek, a suburb of Warri during an alleged invasion of a military houseboat by unknown gunmen.
In the attack, a soldier was wounded and another was said to be missing in the incident that occurred at about 5:50p.m on Wednesday.
Report said the assailants, who disguised as commuters, approached the houseboat in five speed boats mounted with 250 horse power engines and opened fire on the soldiers and civilian staff working in the houseboat.
They were said to have disguised as normal commuters waiting for passage by the two military men left on duty.
Assistant Director, Public Relations, Captain Jonah Unuakhalu, from 4 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Benin, who condemned the attack in a press release on Thursday, said the brigade would fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
(TRIBUNE )
