From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Threats of counter attacks on Monday poured following an anonymous letter warning Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State to withdraw his support for the ban on open grazing in the southern part of Nigeria.
The anonymous letter titled ‘Fulani Jihadist Warning: An Open Message of 2 Paragraphs to Delta State’ had issued a 3-day ultimatum the governor to withdraw his support failing which there would be attacks of high magnitude on Asaba and Agbor.
In a counter statement on Monday, a Niger Delta based group, Movement for the Emancipation and Defence of Niger Delta, warned that no Fulani would exist in the Niger Delta region should any of part Delta State be attacked.
Besides, it stated that all oil facilities linked to a Fulani would be brought down if Delta State was attacked.
“If one soul is lost, ten Fulani souls will pay for it. If one gacility is destroyed, ten Fulani facilities will be destroyed.
“We will respond proportionately ten times whatever you give, the corresponding response will not be limited to the Delta, It may be with your politicians or with your rulers.
“We will launch three rocket launchers and ballistic missiles at any facility of our choice as a warning in seven days if you make bold your threats.
“We don’t make cheap our threats. We have shutdown the country and we can at anytime shut you down.
“We are the Niger Delta, We stand for the interest of the Niger Delta and we will not allow any coward threaten us. We fight without running,” it stated.
Also, the Owa Youth Council (OYC) and Owa Youth Vigilante (OYV), said it has put it’s men on red alert to respond to any emergency.
In a statement by the chairman of the group, Friday Okoh, said the aim of the group was to protect, preserve and secure the land of Owa Kingdom.
Okoh said the group’s attention was drawn to the threats issued to Governor to withdraw his support for the ban on open grazing, by suspected Fulani Jihadists.
He said the group stand with the governor on the open grazing ban, noting that herders had spread sorrow over the land in the cause of carrying out their activities.
“Our attention has been drawn to a purported threat letter issued by our common enemies, the Fulani Jihadists, issuing an ultimatum of 72 hours to our working SMART Governor of Delta State, Sen. Dr. A.I Okowa for his strong support to the ban of open grazing which has always accorded these herders an avenue to penetrate our territories causing harms to our farmers, thrown residents into perpetual fear, kidnappings and other heinous crimes.
“We want to reiterates our strong support to our Governor and other southern governors for the decision made and hereby call on the National Assembly to immediately commence the process of establishing a law to this effect,” the statement read.