Niger Delta militants have setup a dialogue group to engage the government in meaningful discussion to end the Niger Delta crisis – Spokesman for the dialogue group, Mr. Ballantyne Agiri, says Wole Soyinka was chosen to be part of the dialogue group because of his track records as a freedom fighter – Agiri however, declined to mention the names of the other members of the dialogue team
Professor Wole Soyinka is expected to lead a dialogue team comprising about six other eminent Nigerians nominated by the NDA to meet with the federal government to explore ways of securing a ceasefire and restoring lasting peace in the region.
Agiri said Soyinka was chosen because of track records as a freedom fighter as well as a credible and detribalised personality. He however declined to mention the names of the other members of the dialogue team. Agiri said the leadership of the militant group has for months been looking for credible persons who are capable of standing for them and present their grievances before the federal government.
The moment I mentioned Professor Wole Soyinka, they became interested because, according to them, he is somebody who is not from the Niger Delta, but has a credible and detribalised personality.” He said the militants were looking for about five or, at most, seven persons to lead the negotiation on their behalf. Meanwhile, the masterminds behind an attack on a military base in Nembe have been arrested in Bayelsa state.
Daily Post reports that the special security outfit, Bayelsa Waterways Security Taskforce, Monday, August 22, arrested suspected masterminds of the attack on a military post in the Nembe area of the state that led to the death of three soldiers. The security outfit, led by ex-militant leader, Master Africanus Ukparasia, arrested the suspects at Olugbobiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, LGA, of the state based on an intelligence tip-off.