Seven suspects declared wanted by the Joint Task Force in connection with the February 3 bombing of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company trunkline in Nembe Creek, Bayelsa State, have agreed to surrender themselves to the JTF.

Ramsey Omukoro, Friday Burutu, Lord Anipa, Yala Karo, Stanley Odovie, Para Ekiye and Robinson Agadagudu were declared wanted by the JTF after the incident. However, Omukoro, who claimed to be the leader of the group, told our correspondent in Yenagoa that they would come out of hiding if JTF assured them of their safety.

The suspects are said to be members of Third Phase Amnesty, a group of ex-militants who has been protesting against their non-inclusion in the amnesty programme of the government.

Though the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, another group known to have carried out deadly attacks in the area, had claimed responsibility for the Agip pipeline explosion, members of the Third Phase debunked the claims.

Omukoro said they would rather give themselves up than allowed some faceless persons to claim responsibility of the incident in the name of MEND. He said, “Our lives are being threatened as we have been receiving text messages warning us to remain underground or face the consequences but we call on the security agencies to ensure that our lives are protected from those who want us dead.” But he refused to give the date and time when they would surrender themselves to the JTF.

Omukoro said the threats from MEND to carry out further attacks against oil installations were to deceive government into believing that it still constituted a threat to national security. Omukoro said those issuing recent threats in the name of MEND were only out to defraud government. Besides, he alleged that some members of the Third Phase, who knew nothing about the incident had been detained by security agencies. He said after the government had snubbed the group and refused to include them in the amnesty package, despite collecting arms and ammunition from them, the group was forced to blow the pipeline.

Omukoro said, “We have made several attempts to get the attention of the government, including barricading East-West Road and meeting with prominent Nigerians to intervene in the matter. “Even Kingsley Kuku (Special Adviser to the President on Niger Leader Delta Affairs) had in his capacity as chairman of the Federal Government amnesty programme acknowledged that many other militant, who did not submit their arms and ammunition at the time were willing to be part of the programme owing to the benefits from the programme.’’







culled from www.punchng.com