By Oscar Kambona
The cattle breeders umbrella body, Miyetti Allah, has been warned to perish the idea of having a security outfit in the Niger Delta.
The group was also cautioned to perish any idea of lording it over to people of the region in its domination agenda.
This warning is contained in a statement released Thursday, March 19, 2020 by the coalition of civil society organisations in the Niger Delta (UNDEDSS) signed by its Secretary General, Tony Uranta.
UNDEDSS, the United Niger Delta Energy Development Security Strategy, was reacting to news that Miyetti Allah was pplanning to launch a nationwide security outfit.
UNDEDSS also warned that the Niger Deltans were determined to resist any intrusion into the region by any nationwide security outfit other than those constitutionally-recognised bodies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, such as the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Military etc.
“Any such intrusion will be seen as a security breach, and dealt with accordingly.
“If uninvited intruders force their presence on your homestead, homeland etc., you have every right to protect yourself against them any way that you can and the law of the land backs you as per this absolute right.
“We want to believe that our Fulani herdsmen have been misquoted or even are victims of fake news. But, we want every Nigerian to be very clear about one thing: Which is that the Niger Delta will defend its territory against all invaders threatening the hard-earned relative peace and stability in the region.
“If it is true that Miyetti Allah did make such a threat, however, we the people of the Niger Delta see it as hate speech threatening national security, and are dissatisfied with the putative unconcern exhibited by the FGN concerning the security of non-Fulani citizens of Nigeria; especially in a period when we have virtually been told, falsely, that all Fulani worldwide belong to Nigeria.
“Other Nigerians may buy into the taqqiya narrative, but the people of the Niger Delta know that they are not an enslaved people, and remain part of Nigeria solely as equal partners in this union.”
UNDEDSS also asked the Federal Government to clamp down on all hate speech proponents, while reminding President Buhari that he is President of Nigeria, not President of any one ethnic group or clan!
The group declared that it would seek urgent audience with President Buhari for reassurance, in very clear terms, that all Niger Deltans will not be subjected to any security threats from within of outside Nigeria.
“We are Nigerians, but we will remain so only if justice, equity and fair play are guaranteed all Nigerian citizens, and even then, only if we are reassured that Nigeria’s citizenship, like that of every other country, is not available to all and sundry,” the group stated.
