Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa
Ex-militants leaders from the Niger Delta region and the umbrella body of Ijaw youths worldwide, the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), have warned those they said are blackmailing the Vice President of the Nigerian Petroleum company Limited (NNPCL), Tombomieye Adokiye, to desist henceforth or they will be fished out together with their sponsors to face the brunt of the angry youths in the region.
While the ex-militants stated that those blackmailing Adokiye are afflicted to oil thieves in Nigeria, IYC said the call for the probe of Adokiye by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the faceless group is distasteful and affront on the Nigerian people whom have suffered a lot from economic sabotage and crude oil theft.
The ex-militant group under the aspics of the 21st century youths in Niger Delta and Agitators with Conscience (21st CYNDAC) vowed to fight dirty with any individual or group whose aim is to attack in order to distract and discourage the good work of Adokiye.
A statement signed by its leader, Izon Ebi, also warned those that are tussling power from their kinsman to think twice before stepping into the battle arena as they are battle ready to challenge the false whistle blowers.
The ex-militant group also challenge those calling for Adokiye’s probe to remove their masks and tell the Nigerian people who their contractors and paymasters are.
They said the group perceived to have been contracted by those that were in the business of stealing crude oil in the region has been making countless ill-fated attempts to blackmail and tarnish the good reputation and integrity of the Executive Vice President of NNPCL, Adokiye, “because of his resolve to stop crude oil theft and illegal artisanal refineries in the Niger Delta region.
“In one of their contrivances, the bland group and their criminal sponsors are trying to no avail to intimate the EFCC to go after Adokiye as a way to create confusion aimed at demoralising him from the fight to restore the Nigerian economy from the cabals.
“Recall that this same group was apprehended in 2021 trying to blackmail Adokiye, which led them to write an apology letter to him and the Inspector General of Police, EFCC, DSS, National Security Adviser (NSA), and other channels dated December 6, 2021, for defamation and character assassination.
“Today, the same group has raised its ugly head with its criminal sponsors to hoodwink the incoming administration to replace Adokiye with their member that will do their bidding.”
Also, in the statement signed by the IYC National Spokesman, Ebilade Ekerefe, the body warned the faceless groups involved in the campaign of calumny against the NNPCL boss, Adokiye.
The group warned those behind the campaign of calumny against Adokiye to desist from it, adding that millions of youths from the nine states of the Niger Delta region are ready to resist any attempts to bring him down, and will stop at nothing to thwart the threats of mega protest being planned in order to force the EFCC to probe where there is no evidence of misdeed.
On the claims of the alleged involvement of Chief Tombomieye Adokiye in the sabotage of the economy and complicity in crude oil theft, the IYC described the allegation as “laughable,” insisting that the purported petitions against him “are sponsored by some group of persons who are out to dent his image and malign him with unfounded and mischievous allegations in order to drag his name in the mud.”
