AKANIMO SAMPSON

MILITANTS BEGIN FRESH STRIKES OVER JONATHAN
* Push For Self-determination

THE exclusion of Nigeria's Acting President Goodluck Jonathan from the alleged return of the ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua as well as the deploment of over 300 soldiers to excort the president from the airport, has fuelled a fresh round of armed struggle in the volatile Niger Delta, an oil and gas region.

The Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) of Niger Delta, an insurgent network, on Friday announced that they are perfecting plans on how to defeat Nigeria, liberate their territory and build an independent Niger Delta State.

To this end, Spokesperson for the insurgents, Mr. Bakabio Walter, said, ''new pre-emptive strikes are being carried out in various parts of our territory. The latest being the explosion and attack on the heavily guarded Agip Tura Manifold, linking Tebidaba, Obama and Brass Tank Farm, at Agbara Field at about 4:05am on Wednesday, March 3, 2010''.

According to him, ''our revolutionary fighters overpowered soldiers of the occupation force of the Nigerian State (JTF), before going ahead to blow up the Agip Tura Manifold. The soldiers surrendered immediately and were not harmed in the process keeping to the rules of engagement. They declared support for our revolution and were allowed to go on the spot. As we speak now crude oil is flowing on the Brass River for independent verification''.

A day earlier at about 12:34am on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, troops loyal to the JRC allegedly attacked and blew up the Kokori Flow Station operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at Eroike community in the Western part of Niger Delta.

''These are effective follow ups to earlier actions in February signalling the commencement of the current lap of Niger Delta independence struggle. Our strategy is to reduce the export capacity of the occupation Nigerian State to zero and weaken their financial strength before our guerilla army will be unleashed to chase them out of our territory'', the insurgents said.

''By this statement'', they went on, ''we are calling on all Niger Delta youths to come and enlist in the Revolutionary Army of Niger Delta. Also, all soldiers in the Nigerian Army of Niger Delta descent should resign enmasse and come and join our Army for we shall surely defeat Nigeria.

''Furthermore, we demand the immediate vacation of all the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger Delta territory pending future negotiations with the emerging Niger Delta Authority. We also call on all diplomatic missions to Nigeria to close all thier facilities and evacuate all their nationals from the Niger Delta Territory not later than two weeks from now so that they will not be caught in the line of fire. We are not at war with them but with the Nigerian State''. ENDS