Intelligence Report Allegedly Links Jonathan to Niger Delta Avengers

 

The strong rumours linking former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to the recalcitrant Niger Delta Avengers militant groups that has caused a sharp decline in the volume of crude oil production through the massive destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta areas have refused to fade away.

 

The Federal Government has refused to take the accusations linking Jonathan with the NDA with a pinch of salt as security operatives have been mandated to unravel the mystery behind the formation of the "economic terrorist group".

 

Findings by security agencies have allegedly implicated the immediate past president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, in the formation and activities of the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, which has claimed responsibility for various cases of bombing of oil and gas facilities, according to The Nation.

The intelligence report, which is still being studied by the Presidency, confirmed that oil installations were mined before the May 29, 2015 handover to President Muhammadu Buhari by the immediate past president.

Recall that on the 7th of this month, Jonathan denied having any links with NDA, restating his commitment to the nation’s unity. He spoke in reaction to the claim to the contrary by the splinter militant group, Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA.

The newspaper is however, reporting that a top intelligence source, who spoke in confidence last night, divulged that the NDA was formed as a Plan B option before the 2015 general election.

The source said the initial plan was to ask the NDA to declare Niger Delta Republic immediately after Jonathan’s defeat, but the ex-President was believed to have prevailed on the group to shelve the idea.

The NDA was said to have been resuscitated after the Federal Government launched a massive probe into the mismanagement of the oil sector.

The revelations from the probe were said to have overwhelmed the ex-President, who felt he and ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan were being targeted.

The source was reported as saying: “We have intelligence report that it is true that the ex-President has been meeting with the NDA militants before the general election.

“The initial plan was to declare Niger Delta Republic after Jonathan’s electoral loss but the NDA members were taken aback when the ex-President conceded.

“Findings confirmed that the ex-President and others being probed, resuscitated the NDA plan when the Federal Government initiated a probe into the oil sector.

“We suspect that the ex-President is afraid that the way the investigation in the oil industry was going, he and his wife will be questioned.

“The fact that some of the conditions put forward by the NDA, including not going after Government Ekpemuopolo Tompolo, and stopping investigation of all corruption probes, have confirmed some of the intelligence.”

The anonymous official further stated that: “Intelligence report also showed that the evidence of the attacks of oil installations was planned before May 29. The NDA and other militants had mined these installations before the handover.

“But following the probe of the oil sector, they were mandated to start detonating it.

“Intelligence report also indicated that a former Coordinator of Amnesty Programme Kingsley Kuku and a former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh might have played some key roles in the formation and operation of NDA,” the source added.

However, both Metuh and Kuku have also denied any role in the activities of the Avengers.