The Niger Delta Avengers group has chided the Nigerian Military, saying its men are using the Niger Delta crisis to defraud the Nigerian government and tax payers. The militant group also questioned the source of the wealth of these uniformed men. This may be connected to the recently reported allegations of fraud against President Buhari’s Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.
On Wednesday, the Nigerian Navy reportedly arrested a suspected member of the Niger Delta Avengers, who “recently supplied 10 batteries, five large coils of wire and other materials purportedly used for their attacks.” Reacting to this on the Avengers’ website, the NDA group, which is now battling identity crisis, insisted that those recently arrested, are not related to the Avengers.
“Contrary to local news that the Nigerian Navy has arrested Niger Delta Avengers logistics supplier is the biggest joke of the 21st century. As it is now, any Tom, Dick and Harry is a suspect of Niger Delta avengers. Nigerian Navy has lost the sense of professionalism. [sic]
“The Nigerian military arrested school students in Oporoza and called them the Niger Delta Avengers, any criminal caught is NDA, even their business partners (Illegal Oil bunkers) with which things went south, are NDA, sea pirates are now NDA,” the Avengers said.
In the same release, the militants claimed that reports from their ‘intelligence,’ reveals that “the only way funds can be allocated to various departments of the military, is only when they (Nigeria Military) arrest the Niger Delta Avengers operatives.
Also, contributing to the allegations of corruption in the Nigerian Military, the NDA group claimed that serving and retired top officers are the richest people in Nigeria; “How do you explain a military officer having houses in choice areas in Nigeria and outside the country? Nigeria’s serving and retired top officers are the richest people in Nigeria. How do they get such wealth?”
Discrediting some the claims of the Avengers may be very difficult. Some serving and retired military officers are currently indicted in the arms procurement scandals. The decision of Muhammadu Buhari to investigate the procurement of arms, by previous governments is a commendable one. However, it is important to make the arms investigation a holistic one, saving no ‘favourites.’
