Militants from Bayelsa State, under the aegis of Mangrove Boys of Bayelsa, have flayed some ex-militant leaders for attempting to “corner the state’s share” of the multi-billion Naira pipeline surveillance contracts.
The MBB particularly warned Victor Ebikabowei (Boyloaf), Eris Paul (Ogunboss) and Pastor Reuben against causing violence in the state.
The pipeline surveillance contract awarded by the Federal Government to Bayelsa has been causing furore between some ex-militants and the state government.
Last week, some ex-militants staged a protest against Governor Seriake Dickson for allegedly trying to hijack the surveillance job.
During the protest, the ex-militants clashed with the police leading to nine persons being injured and many vehicles, including a police truck, destroyed.
MBB said on Monday that it would no longer fold its hands and watch a few individuals from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area continue to hijack and selfishly enrich themselves with the commonwealth of the youths.
The group said, “The pipeline surveillance job is not their birthright. All the militant leaders disturbing the peace of Bayelsa and trying to hijack the contract through their company, Bajero, are just from one local government area which is Southern Ijaw.
“They do not represent the interests of all of us in the entire state. As formidable freedom fighters, we will not allow these leaders to cheat us again because the contract is meant for our rural communities.”
MBB in a statement signed by its Secretary, Mr. Victor Adere, said it would resist further violent demonstrations in the state by ex-militants and their leaders.
Adere flayed the ex-militants for the last Friday protest which led to the destruction of public property and shooting of guns on the streets of Yenagoa describing their actions as criminal and unlawful.
He alleged that the ex-militants held series of meetings with some officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation where they vowed to create confusion and anarchy in the state in an exchange for dollars.
Adere also accused the ex-militants of collecting cash and contracts from the Niger Delta Development Commission, an agency he said had yet to inaugurate a project in Bayelsa, to fight the leadership of the state.
“These so-called militant leaders in Bayelsa State were paid huge sums of money from the Amnesty Office, Abuja monthly to be paid to their followers but they failed in that process which obviously make their followers to go on the rampage blocking the East-West Road on many occasions,” he said.
Adere added that the MBB was fully in support of the state Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, for his efforts in ensuring that the state-owned Izon Ibe Security Company execute the contract for the benefit of everybody in the state.
