A group named Region of the Niger Delta (Rondel) has demanded the sovereignty of the region. The group in a statement by its spokesman, Efe Edet-Tamuno, said its demands are made on a non-violent struggle
The statement reads: “A Demand for the Independence of Rondel from Nigeria in 2018. We the people of the Region of the Niger Delta (Rondel), represented by members of Rondel Solidarity Movement (RSM) – a newly born aggressive but non-violent umbrella body for all intellectuals, groups and associations in the Niger Delta Region, having lived together in the past as a loose federation under the Benin Empire and the great Ijaw and other kingdoms, desirous of searching for our own country since northerners in Nigeria have decided to evacuate southerners from ‘their Nigeria’ – we today, 07.06.2017 wish to announce the fusion of our various groups into one strong and united non self seeking group to champion our developmental causes and help build our region into a nation of justice, freedom, peace and prosperity. We have, after over 6 hours of a well attended meeting held at a secret location in Rivers State, met and made Resolutions which will be remembered as The Rondel Covenant. The Resolutions are in response to the threat by lazy and ignorant Arewa Youths to divide and destroy Nigeria (disguising as evicting the Igbos – an injury to any Southerner is an injury to all Southerners – the days of divide and conquer has ended) and noting the obvious foot dragging of the Nigerian government over this issue with no one arrested, tried or jailed despite the fact that the treasonable felons are well known and they are all not hiding whereas a certain Nnamdi Kanu of Biafra was incarcerated for over two years for daring to discuss Biafra and a certain Kola Edokpayi of Rondel is currently incarcerated for daring to challenge the government in Edo state.
Following the treasonable ultimatum issued by the Arewa Youths with tacit backing of the Arewa Consultative Forum and Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs led by Sultan of Sokoto either of who has not openly condemned the
