Niger Delta militants give northerners October 1st ultimatum to quit the region, demand the return of all oil wells owned by them

A coalition of Niger Delta militant groups under the aegis "
Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators, have asked all 
Northerners in the region to leave on or before October 1st this year.

Rising form an extra-ordinary meeting in Port Harcourt, 
Rivers state yesterday, said failure to do so, they would 
attack all the oil wells in the region that are owned by northerners.

The group berated the Federal government for holding 
peace talks with the Northern leaders despite the hate speeches emanating from the youths of the region in 
recent times. They demanded that all oil wells owned by Northerners be returned to people from the Niger Delta region.

The militants also threatened that all oil and gas 
companies operating in oil wells illegally owned by 
northerners should vacate such blocs, wells and platforms before October 1, 2017. They also added that they would be declaring the Niger Delta Republic on October 1st. The statement released by the group reads in
part; “We condemn in totality the meeting held by the 
Acting President with some northern elders and youths.

We see it as a grand conspiracy. A responsible government
should have arrested those traitors, but our government
rather turned round to meet with them and pleaded for
peace. Does the Nigerian government see people from
other zones as second-class citizens? Why are they more
important to the Acting President, why is it that the
Nigerian law is always weak when it involves the
northerners? We are still watching the unfolding events
with keen interest. We want to sound this as a warning to
all the northerners living in Niger Delta to quit our land
before October 1, 2017 as this is not just a threat. After
October 1, 2017, any northerner found within the Republic
of Niger Delta shall be seen as an intruder and shall be
treated as such. We also use this opportunity to advise oil
& gas companies in our territory to shut down further
operations, PENGASSAN and NUPENG to warn/withdraw
their members from Niger Delta before October 1, 2017
or risk their lives. Our next action will surprise you”
The militants also demanded the immediate relocation of NNPC headquarters to Niger Delta region as well as the relacement of the Group Managing Director of NNPC with an indigene of Niger Delta region.

Among the Niger Delta militant groups that formed 
the coalition include Gen. John Duku (Niger Delta 
Watchdogs); Gen. Ekpo Ekpo (Niger Delta Volunteers); Gen. Osarolor Nedam (Niger Delta Warriors); Major-Gen. Henry Okon Etete (Niger Delta Peoples Fighters); Major-Gen. Asukwo Henshaw (Bakassi Freedom Fighters); Major-Gen. Ibinabo Horsfall (Niger Delta Movement for Justice); Major-Gen. Duke Emmanson (Niger Delta Fighters Network); Major-Gen. Inibeghe Adams (Niger Delta Freedom Mandate); and Major-Gen. Ibinabo Tariah (Niger Delta Development Network).