The leadership of Niger Liberation Force (NDLF), a militant group in the Niger Delta, has demanded N1bn from the Federal Government as compensation for what it described as “the extra judicial murder of its leader, General John Togo, aerial bombing and killing of innocent citizens of Ayakoromor community by soldiers of the Joint Task Force.
The NDLF demand is coming on the heels of the alleged Federal Government payment of N100m compensation to the family of the slain leader of the Islamist group, Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf who was reportedly killed by the police in custody.
Spokesman for the NDLF, Capt Mark Anthony, in a statement made available to Sunday Vanguard, said unlike Boko Haram that went bombing and killing innocent citizens, agitation was for local control of oil revenue arising from decades of years of criminal injustice and balkanization by the Nigerian government and did not go about the streets of Niger Delta to murder innocent citizens and security operatives.
The group, which flayed the Federal Government decision to compensate the family of the Boko Haram leader who died in police custody, threatened to return to the creeks if government refused to make compensation through its legal representatives on or before June 21, 2012.
The statement read in part, “The leadership of the NDLF has consulted and authorized our legal team to demand from the Federal Government, on behalf of our organization, to pay NDLF and the family compensation of N1bn, for the extra-judicial murder of our commander and leader of NDLF, General John Togo, his soldiers and bombing and killing of innocent citizens in Ayakoromor by soldiers of Joint Task Force (JTF) through both aerial bombing and mini warship attacks in 2010/2011.
”Our organization rose from its slumber suddenly when the government of Nigerian paid similar compensation of N100m to the Islamist Boko Haram leader’s family for extra-judicial murder of Mohammed Yusuf by the police”.
”NDLF’s objective was clear as our agitation was for local control of oil revenue arising from decades of years of criminal injustice and balkanization by the Nigerian government.
”NDLF, as part of our scope of operations, did not go about the streets of Niger Delta to murder innocent citizens and security operatives unlike our counterparts, Boko Haram, who went bombing and killing innocent citizens, including church worshippers, security formations, UN building and other major strategic targets that had caused pains to hundreds of families.
Yet, the Federal Government of Nigeria decided to beg them by paying N100m to the slain Boko Haram leader Mohammed Yusuf and others by the police.
”We, therefore, consider this as a slap on our face and urge the Federal Government to make immediate compensation through our legal team before or not later than 21 June, 2012, or else, NDLF will be forced to go back to the creeks for action. The leadership has directed all NDLF soldiers and intending recruits to get ready for action, if the government ignores our demand.”
