Operation Hunger Lion: Niger Delta Agitators React to Economic Hardships and Corruption in Nigeria

The Coalition of Niger Delta Agitators has revoked the ceasefire it declared years ago, launching what it now calls "Operation Hunger Lion" in response to the current economic hardships facing Nigerians, particularly those in the Niger Delta. This decision was announced in a statement released on Saturday following an emergency meeting where the coalition reviewed the state of the nation, with a focus on the challenges facing Nigerians, especially the Niger Delta region.

According to the statement obtained by SaharaReporters , the coalition is demanding that the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, and his team be investigated and held accountable for the missing N164 billion, with a call for their immediate dismissal. The coalition stated, "We have observed that corruption in the country has reached unprecedented levels, particularly within the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPCL, Power Sector, Education, and Steel.""Despite our hopes for a change in attitude from those responsible for these sectors, it is clear that they are unwilling to act with honor or accountability.

"The coalition's resolutions include a declaration that the NNPCL, as the sole importer of petroleum products in the country, has failed disastrously, marked by widespread corruption and fraud. Despite fuel being sold at over N700 per litre, citizens endure severe hardship just to purchase it. Cooking gas prices have soared above N1500 per kilogram, and kerosene is no longer affordable for many. "Mele Kyari and his team must immediately account for the missing N164 billion from NNPCL's coffers, " the coalition demanded, adding that such mismanagement is only possible when "incompetent and malicious individuals" are placed in positions of power. The statement highlighted that before Kyari's appointment as GMD of NNPC, the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries were still operational at 60% capacity.

 However, since Kyari took over, all refineries have been shut down for reasons known only to him and his associates, despite billions of naira allocated annually by the Federal Government for their revitalization. The coalition also called for an explanation from Kyari regarding the ownership of a refinery in Malta, where crude oil is allegedly exported, refined, and then re-imported at a higher cost, undermining efforts to make Nigeria’s refineries productive.

Furthermore, the coalition criticized the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ministry of Niger Delta Development, and the Presidential Amnesty Programme , describing them as scams and ineffective in serving the people of the Niger Delta. They pointed out that road projects executed by the NDDC are substandard and often do not last more than three years. The coalition urged the government to release funds owed to the NDDC and the Ministry of Niger Delta to accelerate development in the region and called for a probe into the past boards of NDDC and former ministers of the Ministry of Niger Delta over failures and fraud.

The coalition also demanded the immediate dismissal of Mele Kyari, the top management of NNPCL, and its subsidiaries, calling for their prosecution over fraud and embezzlement. They also called for the removal of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil) and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas) for incompetence and corruption, stating that they have failed Nigerians during this critical period. 

This statement was endorsed by key figures from various groups within the coalition, including Henshaw of the Bakassi Freedom Fighters; Major-Gen. Ibinabo Horsfall of the Niger Delta Movement for Justice; Major-Gen. Duke Emmanson of the Niger Delta Fighters Network; Major-Gen. Inibeghe Adams of the Niger Delta Freedom Mandate; Major-Gen. Abiye Tariah of the Niger Delta Development Network; Major-Gen. Joshua Ebere of the Renewed Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta; Major-Gen. Jeremiah Anthony of the Movement for Actualisation of the Niger Delta Republic; Major Francis Okoroafor of the Niger Delta Freedom Redemption Army; and Colonel Nelson Okochi Walter of the Niger Delta Liberty Organisation.