Militants who kidnapped six the Lagos students for 65 days have threatened to strike again if not granted amnesty by the Nigerian government.
The Igbonla six
Abductors of the six senior secondary school students of Lagos Model College, lgbonla, Epe, yesterday threatened to strike again if the Federal Government fails to include them in its Amnesty Programme.
The threat was contained in a statement issued by the group known as the Niger Delta Forest Army and made available to newsmen in Akure, the Ondo state capital. The group’s Public Relation Officer, PRO, General Bossman Koniwei said; “We wish to inform the federal government that we are prepared to drop our arms and embrace peace.
“But will be ready to face any force if we are continuously ignored. This is the last chance for permanent peace. We shall return deadlier if nothing is done.’’
In the statement entitled: “Why we released Igbonla students to Ondo govt” the kidnappers said the reason why they embarked on the Lagos/ Ogun violent campaign is to attract attention.
It reads further: “For years, the then PDP government’s amnesty Programme has been handled as a baby for the PDP boys to the exclusion of others, especially in those in Ondo State. None of our pleas was heeded by the authorities.
“We have done this for years and we are satisfied that we have made our point.
“The lgbonla College raid was an operation we carried out as a sign of our last violent campaigns if government takes the issue of amnesty for us with all seriousness
“ls it not laughable that after dropping our guns for the government, only a few PDP youths benefited to our exclusion?
“We hope the Federal Government will not allow our period of grace to get to another level of crisis.
“We want to use this medium to state that none of our men was killed in the build up to the release of the six students as claimed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the government of Lagos State.
“We only laugh at them listening to their claims and attempt to take glory for something they knew nothing about.
“We released the students to Ondo State deputy governor because we knew he will pursue amnesty for us.
“Lastly, we wish to inform the Federal Government that we are prepared to drop our arms and embrace peace but will be ready to face any ignored. “This is the last chance for permanent peace. We shall return deadlier if nothing is done.’’
They noted that the boys were released to the Ondo State deputy governor out of respect for him and his Delta State counterpart, Kingsley Otuaro.