- Militants under the auspices of Niger Delta Forest Army claims responsibilities for kidnappings in Lagos/Ogun axis
- The militants allege that the present amnesty programme of the government was granted only members of the PDP
The group says it is ready to face any force if its plea for amnesty is ignored by the federal government
Days after some students of Model Secondary School, Igbonla, Epe in Lagos state were released by their abductors, a militant group has claimed responsibility for the abductions and is threatening to carry out another operation.
READ ALSO: Presidency commends CAN for goodwill message on Buhari's health
The militants under the auspices of Niger Delta Forest Army, in a statement issued on Monday, July 31, warned that if federal government does not include them among the beneficiaries of the amnesty programme they would carry out an operation that would be deadlier than ever, This Day reports.
The gang claimed responsibilities for the kidnappings in Lagos/Ogun axis.
Speaking through its spokesperson, Bossman Konowei, the group alleged that the present amnesty programme of the government was granted only members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the exclusion of other militants who surrendered their arms to the government.
The militants claimed the PDP supporters that were benefiting from the amnesty programme after they had agreed to lay down their arms.
“For years, the then PDP government’s Amnesty programme has been handled as a baby for PDP boys to the exclusion of others, especially in Ondo State. None of our pleas was heeded by the authorities. That is the reason we embarked on our Lagos/Ogun violent campaigns to attract attention.
“We had done this for years and we are satisfied that we have made our points known. The Igbonla College raid was an operation we carried out as a sign of our last violent campaigns if government takes the issue of amnesty for us with all seriousness.
PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigeria’s #1 new app
“Is it not laughable that after dropping our guns for the government, only few PDP youths benefitted to our exclusion? We hope the federal government will not allow our period of grace to get to another level of Ondo crisis,” the militants said.
Narrating how the kidnapped students were freed, the group said the students were released to the deputy governor of Ondo state, Agboola Ajayi, after 64 days in the kidnappers’ den.
According to the group’s spokesperson, Ajayi and his chief of staff, Mr. Donald Ojogo, and an ex-militant took custody of the children at the creek between Ajakpa in Eseodo and Ugbonla in Ilaje local government area of the state.
The gang however dismissed the claims by the police that some of them were killed in the effort to free the students, saying the police were only trying to reap where it did not sow.
The militants warned that they would be ready to face any force if their plea for amnesty is ignored by the federal government.
“This is the last chance for permanent peace. We shall return deadlier if nothing is done,” the group said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force on Monday, July 31, said it had arrested 32 suspects responsible for kidnapping along the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
The force Public Relations Officer, CSP Jimoh Moshood, disclosed this in a statement via Facebook.
Moshood said that items recovered from the suspects include: 4 ak 47 rifles, 6 locally made pump action gun and 2 magazines.
The suspects were jointly arrested By IRT, STS, CTU and Special Force of the Nigeria Police all deployed by IGP Ibrahim Idris to bring Sanity to the most busiest expressway in Northern Nigeria.
They have made confessional statements indicating the various criminal roles they played in the commission of the crime.
Most of them have been identified by some of their victims. They will soon be charged to court on completion of investigation.
Watch NAIJ.com TV report on the popular kidnapper known as 'Evans' below: