Despite denying any involvement with the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, another report has emerged linking ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to the group.
According to The Nation, this report also confirmed that oil installations were mined before the May 29, 2015 handover to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan has already said he has nothing to do with the Avengers after being accused of being one of the founders by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)
According to a source, the NDA were formed as a Plan B option before the 2015 general election and declare a Niger Delta Republic immediately after Jonathan’s defeat but the ex-President stepped in and stopped the plan.
The Nation reports that the NDA was revived after the probe by the Federal Government into the mismanagement of the oil sector.
The revelations from said probe were reportedly overwhelming for the ex-President, who felt he and ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan were being targeted.
The Source said “We have intelligence report that it is true that the ex-President has been meeting with the NDA militants before the general election.
“The initial plan was to declare Niger Delta Republic after Jonathan’s electoral loss but the NDA members were taken aback when the ex-President conceded.
“Findings confirmed that the ex-President and others being probed, resuscitated the NDA plan when the Federal Government initiated a probe into the oil sector.
“We suspect that the ex-President is afraid that the way the investigation in the oil industry was going, he and his wife will be questioned.
“The fact that some of the conditions put forward by the NDA, including not going after Government Ekpemuopolo Tompolo, and stopping investigation of all corruption probes, have confirmed some of the intelligence.”
The source added in response to a question, “Intelligence report also showed that the evidence of the attacks of oil installations was planned before May 29. The NDA and other militants had mined these installations before the handover.
“But following the probe of the oil sector, they were mandated to start detonating it.
“Intelligence report also indicated that a former Coordinator of Amnesty Programme Kingsley Kuku and a former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh might have played some key roles in the formation and operation of NDA.”
The Nation reports that when contacted a high-ranking government source said,
“It has been known in government circles that Jonathan may be behind the NDA. The speed with which he denied the allegation spoke volumes.
“Despite the denial, the allegations have refused to go away.
“His allegation that MEND is after him is to divert attention from his roles as the mastermind of the NDA . His morbid fear of being investigated alongside his wife is behind what is going on. Investigation has revealed massive looting under his administration. His alarm was just to preempt being probed.”