President Muhammadu Buhar has urged militants in the Niger Delta region of the country to give the unity of Nigeria a thought even as the bombing of oil installations and pipelines continues to affect the nation negatively.
On Tuesday, the Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group, claimed responsibility for the blowing up of Chevron and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation pipelines in Delta state.
The president, while receiving a cross section of Nigerians who were mostly Muslims at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday said that the unity of Nigeria as a country was not negotiable.
He revealed that former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon had made this clear during his stint as the ruler of Nigeria.
He said, “We have to concentrate on the militants to try to know how many of them in terms of groupings, try to get in touch with their leadership, to try to persuade them to please give Nigeria a chance.
“I assure them that when we were very junior officers, we were told by our leaders, by the Head of State which was Gen. Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done…we never thought of oil. What we were after is one Nigeria. Please, pass the message to the militants that one Nigeria is not negotiable. And I pray they better accept it. The constitution is very clear…I assure them there would justice.
“And please persuade those who have plenty of money that does not belong to them to try and negotiate, return it in peace so that both them and us will be in peace otherwise we will continue to request”.
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