Confusion in Avengers over emergence of splinter group

There are discordant tunes in the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the militant group responsible for the recent spate of attacks on oil installations.

On Friday, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), a splinter group from the Avengers, announced its breakaway from the original group, and threatened to expose the real person behind the pseudonym “Brigadier General Murdoch Aginibo”, spokesman of the Avengers.

“Permit us to begin by introducing the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers (RNDA), a breakaway faction of the Niger Delta Avengers,” the splinter faction said in a statement released by Cynthia Whyte on Friday.

“A majority of us, in consideration of the recent personal appeal by His Excellency, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and the peace efforts and initiative of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), and the feeling of guilt over the damage being effected on our environment at the same time the government of President Buhari has exhibited political will and backing words with
action to clean up the environment, we have decided to join the MEND Aaron Team 2 peace initiative through the clearing house of Niger
Delta Dialogue and Contact Group (NDDCG) headed by HRH King Alfred Diette-Spiff.

“We will also cooperate with the government by exposing the identities of our comrades who remain stubborn in their insistence to continue attacks. For example, it will shock the nation to know the Jekyll and Hyde personality behind the pseudonym ‘Brigadier General Murdoch Aginibo’ and our sponsors.

“We also use this opportunity to call on IPOB to take advantage of the olive branch concession secured by MEND and renounce the Biafra question which is an anachronism. Those advising Mr. Kanu to do otherwise do not love him nor appreciate the level of treason this simple act of common sense and humility can extricate him from. The Niger Delta will no longer be your proxy war to achieve your ambition.

“To our comrades in the NDA, we urge you to stop being defiant and embrace peace and the wise counsel we all received from former
President Jonathan.”

However, the NDA responded on Saturday by insisting its members were united.

Murdoch Agbinibo, its spokesperson, told TheCable that a certain “Jude Kekyll” is behind the RNDA and that he didn’t belong to the militant group.

“The NDA is too busy at the moment to be distracted by people like Jude Kekyll; he is not part of us and can’t be part of us,” he said. “All our operatives are united and we are all together.”

However, he did not comment on the new group’s claim that Goodluck Jonathan, former president, counselled them to “embrace peace”.