₦airaland Forum

Niger Delta Militants Met At Governor Dickson's Office
And Promised To Make Nigeria Ungovernable For
Buhari-'General' Akpodoro
‘General’ Isreal Akpodoro, a former militant leader in the
Niger Delta. In this interview with NICHOLAS UWERUNONYE, he spoke on the renewed militant activities in the Niger Delta. He also condemned the activities of the Niger Delta Avengers while calling on the President to probe those around him. Excerpts:
BY DAILY INDEPENDENT

You had a meeting with representatives from the federal government in Transcorp Hilton recently, what transpired at the meeting and what should we expect from the meeting?
We had a meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja,
and it was called for by the Minister of State, Petroleum
Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, National Security Adviser,
Monguno, Special Adviser to the President on Amnesty
Program, Paul Boroh, Edo State Governor, Adams
Oshiomhole. The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs was also
there, Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Agric was
there and so on. At the meeting, I told everybody that Boroh
needs to be sacked. I told the NSA that Boroh should be
sacked from that office.
Was Boroh there when you said so?
Yes, he was there. I said so because I believe that 70 percent
of the cause of the current problem in the region was
caused by Boroh. He doesn’t know who to reach in this
matter. When Kingsley Kuku was in office, he does not allow
matter to get to this level. He would reach out to the people.
In fact, he created three phases of meetings to resolve the
matter. We have had phase one of the programme, phase
two and phase three. In each of the phases, he will reach out
to relevant stakeholders like ex-militant leaders. He will get
them to talk to their boys. Since Boroh assumed office he
has called nobody. Rather he is harassing some of us who
are working for Buhari. Boroh was in the security committee
of Jonathan’s campaign. I don’t know who nominated that
man for this appointment. Buhari should speedily sack him
along with his CSO, Lt. Col O Kugbere. Both of them worked
for Jonathan. Kugbere was CSO to Kuku, too. Today, he has
been going about condemning Kuku. In fact, Boroh is still
working with the same set up left by Jonathan. I am even
aware that Tompolo tells him what to do. Can you tell us
exactly what is going on in the Niger Delta and among the
militants? The truth is that we do not want another civil war
in Nigeria. What is going on now has nothing to do with
attempt to arrest Tompolo. That is the misinformation out
there. I say this because as far as the Niger Delta ex-
Militants, myself, General Africa and Akpariasa were the only
people who declared our support for President
Muhammadu Buhari before and after the 2015 election. I
can say that a great many of us do not want any conflict in
our region. We want peace and nothing more. If you say you
want peace, then it appears that the ex-militants are no
longer speaking with one voice. You are saying you don’t
want war; others like the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, and
another Isoko Liberation Front are doing the exact opposite.
What really is responsible for this?
Like I said, the renewed fight in the region has nothing to do
with EFCC declaring Tompolo wanted. Before the election,
sometime in January 2014, we had a meeting in Bayelsa
State, at the Government House. The Bayelsa State
Governor, Seriake Dickson was there, Kingsley Kuku, former
Amnesty Program DG was there, all the prominent ex-
militants like Tompolo, Asari Dokubo, many other were
there. The only person, not present was Ateke Tom. At the
meeting, a motion was raised that if our brother, then
President Goodluck Jonathan did not win the 2015 election,
we would make the country ungovernable for whoever
emerges. There was a motion to divide the country and blow
all oil installations in the region. If you recall, General TY
Danjuma replied them at the time. I opposed the move too
at the time. I argued that the man who gave us amnesty was
a man from the North. This was late President Umaru Musa
Yar’Adua. I said that whoever wins should be who we would
work with, that we should not cause any problem. When I
said this at the meeting, they almost killed me. They called
me a betrayer and spy for Buhari. They then declared war
on me. They withdrew all my security personnel.
By security personnel do you mean police, army or private
security?
I had Mobile Police attached to me. They withdrew all of
them from me because of what I said. Now that Buhari has
emerged as president, their promise at the time is what we
are seeing now. Nigerians should not look at the matter as
people agitating over neglect. The neglect in Niger Delta has
been long. It was there even before Jonathan came to
power. In fact, Jonathan did not address it. We agitated over
resource control, marginalization and unequal distribution
of oil wells before Jonathan came on board. Jonathan stayed
in power for six years but couldn’t address the matter. Look
at the East-West Road; he did not complete it. Look at the
Umaru Yar’Adua Airport awarded to Bayelsa; Jonathan did
not implement it. Jonathan contributed a lot to what has
been happening. That is why three weeks ago, I told the
country that Jonathan is behind the Avengers. Ever since the
bombing started again, Jonathan did not say a word. Even
ministers who are from the region present Buhari’s cabinet
are saying nothing. Yet they still claim to be APC people. The
people around the President are also not helping him. The
man does not know what is going on in this country. They
are not telling him the truth. I have a personal relationship
with Buhari. I met him in 2013 and urged him to contest. I
told him that we are behind him. When I met him, I told him
I was breaking away from the ranks of the ex-militants to
support him.
How did you meet him?
I met him through Colonel Abdul. He was the one who took
me to see him at that time. Buhari told me that there was no
problem and that he was ready to work with me. Even
before the election, I met with the leaders of APC. I met with
Rotimi Amaechi, then governor of Rivers. When I met him
and told him that I was coming out to endorse Buhari, he
warned that they would kill me. I told him that nobody
would kill me and that the worst that could happen is that
we end up killing each other. They promised to mobilise
funds for me for the endorsement, but they failed. I
endorsed Buhari on national televisions, on papers, on the
internet. I took full pages in newspapers to endorse the
president. I did all this with my money and got no kobo from
APC. I sent text messages to Amaechi asking whether he saw
what I have done in the media. He replied yes. I met
Amaechi again at Eko Hotel when Tinubu was having a
function there. I told him again of what I did, to which he
replied that he saw it all but that we could not talk at the
place. I said no problem. Since then till this moment I am
talking to you, I have not heard from Amaechi. He has even
refused to pick my call. This put me in a bad situation with
my people.
How did it put you in bad situation?
The people I used to do the endorsement expected me to
pay them allowances for the trips we undertook. At a point,
they thought I was deceiving them after collecting money
from Amaechi, pretending I had no money. They came to my
house and threatened to burn my home. I had to run
around to source money to settle them before the election.
Five days to that election, I went to see Bola Tinubu to report
the matter.
I told Tinubu of Amaechi’s failed promise. I showed Tinubu
all the works I have done. Tinubu then told his Chief Security
Officer to write my name as the number one APC ex-militant
general. He then gave me some money for transport; I don’t
want to mention the figure. He then asked that I put down
my account number and that he would reach Amaechi and
asks him to wire money to me. As soon as I left, Tinubu has
since refused to pick my calls. Amaechi has refused to see
me. As I am talking to you now, I am facing a lot of
challenges both from APC politicians and those in the
government who do not believe in Buhari’s agenda.
Can you explain further on those in Buhari’s government
who don’t believe in his agenda?
I am talking about people like Paul Boroh and his chief
security officer, Col Kugbere. They have been after me
saying that I am supporting government against my people.
As I am talking to you now, I don’t sleep in my house
anymore. My children and wife have to look for a safe place
to stay.
So if you are to rate Amaechi now, will you say that he has
passed leadership test for Niger Delta?
My brother if I tell you that Amechi has not failed then it
means I am a total liar. Amaechi failed 100 percent, even
200 percent. Amaechi was a former governor, now a
minister. Israel Akpodoro is a private citizen. But see what I
am doing now in this matter. He is one that put Dakuku
Peterside as NIMASA DG. He is the one who put Ibim
Semenitari as NDDC boss. These people have failed to use
their office to reach out to their people to calm things in the
region. They are not making statements to condemn these
bombings. This shows that Amaechi is a total failure. On
October 17, 2015, while the Senate was screening Amaechi,
myself, Michael Jonny, Akpariasa, warned the Senate of dire
consequence if Amaechi does not scale the screening
hurdle. We passed a vote of confidence on Amaechi. We did
this on AIT. Could you believe that on 18th, Paul Boroh, who
was security official during Jonathan’s campaign, led security
agents to my place to kidnap me?
They invaded my place, blindfolded me, handcuffed me and
took me away. One of the people who abducted me queried
me on why I was supporting Amaechi. I was shocked.
Initially, they claimed that it was Nyesom Wike who sent the
operatives after me. I later learnt that it was not him. Boroh
kidnapped me using his CSO, Kugbere and took me to an
unknown destination. For two days I was in a blindfold. It
was after they removed the blindfold that I realised that I
was in EFCC. They then stated that I had been petitioned.
When I looked at the petition, I saw that it was Boroh that
petitioned me through his chief of staff. They accused me of
not paying my boys under the amnesty program. I had only
39 slots while Tompolo has 6, 000. Others have 5,000.
Nobody petitioned them. I don’t know how that was possible
because the money is paid to individuals accounts. After the
three days, they gave me bail. The bail conditions were like
the ones they grant governors. But in two days, I managed
to perfect the bail conditions. Back to what you said about
Amaechi’s appointees in NDDC and NIMASA, you said they
are in Position to solve this renewed insurgency? These
agencies have the means to reach out to the common
people and the stakeholders in the region. If they had done
their bit and put their ears to the ground, they would have
known that the crisis was coming. Since the bombings
started, they have refused to make any meaningful
comment condemning the activities of the Avengers. This
shows that these appointees are not capable; they have
refused to help Buhari.
On this resurgent militancy, have you met with Mr.
President on how to solve the problem?
A week to the inauguration of Mr. President, I met him. I met
when Olorogun Otega, governorship candidate of Delta State
in 2015 led a delegation to see Mr. President; I went with
him. Otega introduced me to Mr. President saying that I was
the only ex-militant that stood by Mr. President during the
election. When the president shook my hand, I then said ‘Sir,
I was the one who met you in 2013 to pledge my support for
you and asking you to run for election.' The President then
said no problem, that I should calm the region until after the
inauguration then we would meet. Until this moment, I have
been unable to see the man. People around him have
refused me an audience. They have caged him. I have been
going to the Villa severally but have met with no success.
What is now happening in the Niger Delta, I had forewarned.
I wrote some letters through some security personnel in
government but got no response. I told them where their
arms and camps are located, but nobody paid attention. I
don’t want to mention names here, but if I meet Mr.
President, I will mention names of those I gave the letters to.
I warned that after the Bayelsa election, this people will start
to bomb. This happened as I predicted. In January this year,
they started to bomb the places. I am not going to blame the
president for the insurgency because he is not the cause.
The people around him are the cause of the problem. We
have leaders in the Niger Delta who know what to do to
solve this problem but have refused to do so. Only a few of
us, myself, Africa, Akpariasa, we are the ones facing this
person. As I am talking to you now, we have become targets.
Even some Northerners are involved in this scheming
against Buhari because of his fight against corruption. This
matter should not be taken lightly because these Avengers
mean business. Now they have their own currency. They
want to share this country.
The US and the UK have urged Buhari to thread with caution
on the use of the military to quell the Niger Delta crisis.
What is your view of the use the military to quell the
insurgency?
What the West is saying is partly true. Without the military,
we can solve this problem. This is so because their people
on the ground in the region from various communities who
know them. The Avengers are not ghosts. The president
should engage these people to work with the JTF. They have
to do this so that innocent people will not be killed. What the
UK government is saying is that they don’t want innocent
blood to be shed while trying to quell the conflict.
Governor Seriake Dickson is believed to have sponsored the
group of militants that issued a threat today


www.saharareporters.com/2016/05/31/niger-delta-militants-met-governor-dicksons-office-and-promised-make-nigeria-ungovernable

I have a personal relationship with Buhari. I met him in 2013 and urged him to contest. I
told him that we are behind him.

Buhari was meeting militants as far back as 2013 in his bid to topple the govt. Bubu has links with Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and now Niger Delta Militants.

Anyway I stopped reading at the emboldened, this man is obviously working for Buhari.
These are the people chopping Buhari's money and pretending they speak on behalf of Niger Delta.

.

Hustling is real

TippyTop:
I stopped reading at the emboldened, this man is obviously working for Buhari.
These are the people chopping Buhari's money and pretending they speak on behalf of Niger Deltans.

But he said dey neglected him

God please save this country.

Karma is a b*itch.

Whatever you do will always come back to you, either good or bad.

buhari said same thing in 2011

krasican:
But he said dey neglected him

For those that can't or wont read long posts. Here is the summary:

Judas is wailing for his 30 pieces of silver but the Pharisees (Amaechi and Tinubu) are fencing him.

God is greater than all evil plotters..
Anyway,I voted for Buhari a fulani man, I can't remember voting for merlin or a miracle worker. So I never expected Merlin's magic or miracles to happen, I voted for change and not magic.16 years misrule can not be repaired in 1 year so Nigerians let's be patient....... #IStandWithBuhari#
let the haters and Wailers continue wailing pdp 16 yrs of looting and misrule they are looking for APC magician to fix it in a year. Yeye

krasican:
But he said dey neglected him

Buhari neglected him, Bubu was having meetings with militants as far back as 2013 according to this man.
In 2013 we had relative peace in the Niger Delta, why was Bubu undermining the previous govt?

Curlieweed:
For those that can't or wont read long posts. Here is the summary:

Judas is wailing for his 30 pieces of silver but the Pharisees (Amaechi and Tinubu) are fencing him.

If akpodoro is "Judas" then amachi and tinubu are who among d disciples

Like I said, the renewed fight in the region has nothing to do with EFCC declaring Tompolo wanted. Before the election, sometime in January 2014, we had a meeting in Bayelsa
State, at the Government House. The Bayelsa
State Governor, Seriake Dickson was there, Kingsley Kuku, former Amnesty Program DG was there, all the prominent ex- militants like Tompolo, Asari Dokubo, many other were
there. The only person, not present was Ateke
Tom. At the meeting, a motion was raised that if our brother, then President Goodluck Jonathan did not win the 2015 election, we would make the country ungovernable for whoever
emerges. There was a motion to divide the
country and blow all oil installations in the region.

This is what we've always insisted. There is no genuineness in the current agitation in the region- just a bunch of selfish scavengers taking advantage of a large mass of gullible Nigerians, using their ethnoreligious bigotry as leverage to promote their selfish and sinister agenda.

iPod, NDA, Egbesu, etc are all cut from the same cloth- had Jonathan not lost, none of them would have arisen.

Make dem continue with their tomfoolery. Na dem sabi.

[s]

TippyTop:
Buhari was meeting militants as far back as 2013 in his bid to topple the govt. Bubu has links with Boko Haram, Fulani Herdsmen and now Niger Delta Militants.

Anyway I stopped reading at the emboldened, this man is obviously working for Buhari.
These are the people chopping Buhari's money and pretending they speak on behalf of Niger Delta.

[/s]
www.nairaland.com/attachments/2239496_2118967img2015020711260_jpeg3d7e1c5f623d3b4860033fec372a0f84

I only see the ranting of a pained ass man who has been betrayed for betraying his people just to be politically relevant. What a greedy fellow. All he wanted was money and recognition

I had Mobile Police attached to me. They withdrew all of them from me because of what I said

Militants have police details, tax payers don't have police posts near them for protection... This country is a joke!!!

Governor Seriake Dickson is believed to have sponsored the group of militants that issued a threat today

So that's where he's been sinking Bayelsa's allocation and 13%, foolish man!!!


Omenka,

Even their sympathizers know their is no substance to the "agitation", na ploy to balance belle and feather their nests...

Restructure ko, revolution ni..

Chai!! This bobo de hustle very hard!! I like the way Amaechi and Tinubu just tossed him aside!! Jobless fool

Empty vessels make the loudest noise!






Abeg the army should continue to behead these useless good for nothing criminal militants!

He once said so to someone. Karma is fighting back but we r the one suffering it not even him.

omenka:
This is what we've always insisted. There is no genuineness in the current agitation in the region- just a bunch of selfish scavengers taking advantage of a large mass of gullible Nigerians, using their ethnoreligious bigotry as leverage to promote their selfish and sinister agenda.

iPod, NDA, Egbesu, etc are all cut from the same cloth- had Jonathan not lost, none of them would have arisen.

Make dem continue with their tomfoolery. Na dem sabi.

I agree with the part in bold but adding to that, Had Buhari not won, Boko Haram's sponsors wouldn't have abandoned them.

Their veneer of seeking justice for the Niger Delta is finally cracking. All I could see in the interview is the whining of a grown man whose hands were taken off the pot of stew.

In a nutshell, the man is lamenting because they didn't compensate him for the work he did for APC... Serves him right

CltrAltDel:
[s][/s]
www.nairaland.com/attachments/2239496_2118967img2015020711260_jpeg3d7e1c5f623d3b4860033fec372a0f84

Apt...

We shall see the end of this horrible mistake caused by Niger Delta Scavengers.

Akpodoro and his #dorohustle.