Tony Osauzo, Benin
A group, Benin Solidarity Movement (BSM), yesterday, said it would respond appropriately to any act of hostility or attack on Benin land.
The warning followed alleged threat by a Niger Delta militant group’s demand on Governor Godwin Obaseki to create five development centres in the five Ijaw Kingdoms in Edo State or face ‘total war’.
Describing the demand as irresponsible, President of BSM, Curtis Ugbo, in a statement in Benin City, said NDF’s threat was a joke taken too far.
“Our attention has been drawn to the trending news report in recent time of a so called ‘new militant group, simply identified as NDF’ bragging, issuing warnings and making ridiculous demands from the Edo State Government, Governor Godwin Obaseki and the Benin monarch, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare 11, N’Ogidigan.
“Ordinarily, considering the propensity of the self-styled Ijaw militants to resort to issuing of empty threats and unwholesome demands at any flimsy excuse, we could as well overlook this new threat.
“However, going through the write up by one Emma Amaize, we discovered some anomalies that we felt should be immediately addressed so as not to give the self-styled NDF led by the pseudo ‘Captain Osama Osama’ and his criminal gang the leeway to start having a feeling that they own monopoly of violence.
“That the self-styled Ijaw militants can be so bold to make such gargantuan demands and follow up with threats to Edo people, our governor and the revered Benin monarch, is a joke taken too far.
“From all intent, it has become obvious that the self-styled Ijaw militants, who are being supported by a most wanted militant and his gang, mainly from neighbouring states, are abusing the hospitable disposition of the Edo people.
“It is unthinkable for any Edo son or daughter in a state like Rivers, despite our tangible population size there, to make any such bravado, not to talk of making demands of such magnitude to Governor Nyesom Wike and further threatening him.
“This trend of making demands and threatening our monarch and governor quite exposes the nature of such self-styled Ijaw militants to disrespect the authority of their monarchs and constituted authorities with impunity, a trend that they will never succeed in extending to Edo State, the home of African culture of giving respect to all those to whom it is due,” the statement said.