Thursday, September 19, 2013

‘Most Wanted’ Delta Kidnap Kingpin Gives President Jonathan A 60-Day Ultimatum To Address Demands Or Face Attacks On Oil Facilities

A dreaded and 'most wanted' kidnap kingpin in Delta State who doubles
as leader of the new Liberation Movement of the Urhobo People (LIMUP)
today gave President Goodluck Jonathan a stunning 60-day ultimatum to
address the sufferings of the Urhobo as well as grant amnesty to
kidnappers or face attacks on oil facilities in the area.
Known simply as Kelvin, the bandit, who wore a mask and was surrounded
by members of his gang who were dressed in military fatigues, said at
a press conference that if Jonathan failed to address what he
described as the 'gross marginalization' of the Kokori community and
grant unconditional amnesty to kidnappers, he will have no option than
to shut down oil facilities.
Present at the occasion were members of the Kokori, Ethiope East Local
Government Area community, who expressed admiration of Kelvin and his
men.
"The reason why we are here today is because of the continuous
cheating of our people by the Federal government. The federal and
state governments have been suffering us and now we want them to hear
us because for over 50 years now they have been drilling oil from our
community (Kokori), which is the second best oil in this country.
"Yet we have nothing to show for it, the community has no road, they
do wooden bridges in areas that need a formidable bridge that will
last for a long time. There is hunger everywhere, graduates have no
work. So we want the government to listen to us. In fact we are
giving the federal government 60 days ultimatum to listen to us or
else we will shut down all the well heads in the area," he threatened.
Kelvin, who was declared 'most wanted' by security agents last year
for allegedly masterminding a high profile kidnap and killing some
security personnel, rejected the names he and his gang have been
called. He declared them as being far from the truth, stressing that
the mission and vision of his group is nothing but to draw the
attention of the world to the criminal neglect of his oil-bearing
community and the Urhobo nation.
According to the visibly angry Kelvin, "For over fifty years, they
have exploited our land in the guise of oil exploration with nothing
to show for it in terms of development. There are no good roads, no
industries for the youths to work, our women and mothers cannot farm
again because of the devastating effect of the oil exploration on our
land.
"Fifty years of oil exploration has left our men prostrate without no
meaningful source of livelihood. Most of them can no longer fend for
their families and all attempts to draw the attention of the State
Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria to the plight of the
community have been greeted by repression, so we have no other
alternative than to bear arms against the nation, in order to drive
home our demands since the only language Nigeria understands is
violence."
Asked Kelvin, "When the Ijaws and Itsekiris where agitating with arms,
we the Urhobo youths chose to be peaceful, but what did we get? We
are rather left out completely in the amnesty program. Is it not the
same oil that the Ijaws and Itsekiris produce that is also produced in
Kokori, which has the second best oil in Nigeria? So what is our
crime?"
He said that his group does not fear the army, should the government
want to send it in, warning that when his group is ready to attack,
"no amount of security" can stop them as they have the backing of "top
people" in Nigeria and abroad.
"The reason why they have been hearing of the name Kelvin is because
of what I just told you now. I am the Kelvin; I am like two million
Kelvin. I am not a kidnapper. What is happening as a result of our
activities in the state and the country is for the federal government
to know that we are angry," he explained.
He warned that the cease fire and peace currently being enjoyed in
Delta State was not the work of men of the Joint Task Force or of
large numbers of security men parading the streets, but that his group
had simply decided to give peace a chance by giving the State and
Federal Government the benefit of the doubt.
However, he warned, "After this 60 days ultimatum, if we do not see
any meaningful attempt by the authorities to address our plights, we
would shut down all oil facilities in Urhobo land and there is no
amount of security personnel that can stop us. I know I cannot fight
the federal government alone but I will do things that will touch
their marrow."
He promised to "strike decisively and promptly with a devastating
effect," adding that his no empty threat as the people are behind his
group in this struggle in this struggle, and to fear is to die many
times.
"We have to take our destiny into our hands, since the Nigeria nation
has failed us," he said.
"The government must listen to us because while Boko Haram will be
destroying in the north we will be destroying from this way. We will
destroy all the well heads in the whole of Urhobo nation not only in
Kokori after the expiration of the 60 days ultimatum. Then the Federal
government will know that we don't make empty threats. But we will
remain calm within the next 60 days, but if they think we cannot do
anything then they will hear from us after the expiration of the 60
days ultimatum."
Several members of the community expressed their support of Kelvin and
his dreaded gang. One, who pleaded for anonymity stated that they
were throwing their weight behind Kelvin.
"Kokori is suffering," he declared. "There are no jobs for the
youths, graduates whom their parents borrowed money to see them
through their tertiary education roam the streets with nothing to do
and business has been very slow for our market women because there is
no flow of income. What we want the government to do is to build
schools, hospitals, banks and cottage industries that can employ the
men and teeming youths of the community."
Chief Saroke Edah and two other women who spoke on behalf of the women
described Kelvin as God-sent, and backed up his complaints that
despite their feeding the nation with their God-given oil wealth for
the past 50 years, their community lacks good infrastructure and
schools, as well as empowerment for the youths and women.
"We thank God for using our son, Kelvin to fight for our cause," they
said. "He is not a criminal, as the government of Delta State wants
the world to believe. Him and his group are fighting for what is
just, equitable and legitimate. Therefore, he should not be given a
bad name. If the government had provided jobs for these youths and our
husbands, would they take up arms to ask for what rightly belongs to
them? Where the oil is found in Kokori, the land belongs to Kelvin's
grandfather and yet the family has nothing to show for over fifty
years of oil exploration. Is this not injustice?"

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