The militant group behind the abduction of the six students of Igbonla Model School in Lagos, Niger Delta Forest Army, has vowed to cause more havoc on the Ondo, Ogun and Lagos waterways if nothing is done about incorporating them into the Federal government amnesty programme.
The group stated this in a Press statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, General Bossman Konowei, said members of the group are ready to drop their arms to embrace peace if the government is ready to include them in the amnesty programme.
The group urged the Ondo state government not to renege on its promise of granting them amnesty which led to the release of the six students to the officials of Ondo state government
Konowei stated that the Igbonla kidnap by the group was embarked upon by the militants to attract attention after their exclusion from the federal government amnesty programme
According to them, the six abducted students were released out of respect for the Ondo State deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, and his promise to intervene in securing amnesty for them.
The group in the statement said “the recent release of the six Igbonla students who were in our custody was done for a specific reasons.
“It is out of respect for our state, especially the Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi and his Delta state counterpart, Kingsley Otuaro
“For years the then PDP government’s Amnesty programme has been handled as a baby for PDP boys to the exclusion of others, especially in Ondo state. None of our pleas was heeded by the authorities.
“We embarked on out Lagos/ Ogun violent campaigns to attract attention. We had done this for years and we are satisfied that we have made our points known.
“The Igbonla college raid was an operation carried out as a sign of our last violent campaign if government takes the issue of amnesty for us with all seriousness. We hope the federal government will not allow our period of grave to get to another level of Ondo crisis.
The group however debunked the claims of the Lagos state police command that some members of the militant were killed in the build up to the release of the six school children saying “none of our men was killed in the build up to the release of the six students as claimed by Lagos state police commissioner and the state government.
“We laugh at them listening to their claims and attempts 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.”
The group however threatened to return deadlier if the government ignore their call for amnesty saying they are prepare to embrace peace and drop their arms.
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