THE Niger Delta Christian Youth Movement of Nigeria (NDCYM) is greatly distrust, appalled and devastated at the acts of systematic ethnic and religious genocide and pogrom being carried out by the Nigerian Army through her Joint Military Task Force (JTF).

“The JTF has for long been a tool to kill our innocent people and turn our lands desolate,” a statement signed by the president of NDCYM, Comrade Rex Anighoro, said, adding “we take it seriously that these acts are satanic, demonic and wicked.

“We as Niger Delta Christian youths are greatly shocked that Rep Bala Ibn’ Na allah has advocated a pogrom and total annihilation of all of us in the Niger Delta and our religious leaders do not see that this is the clear intent of the North against us in the Niger-Delta.

“Northern political and religious leaders see us down in the Niger Delta as slaves and captured people with some of our kinsmen as servers in their king’s table.

Unfortunately our political representatives, including the vice president and members of the National Assembly are oppressed as the rest of us” .

Continuing, the statement called on all Christian youths in the area, “to within the next 10 days mobilize for a 10-million youth protest and rally. We must peacefully march the streets to protest these acts of genocide. To sit at home is to be timid and stupid.

“Our brothers who have been branded militants are being killed daily to weaken the strength of our region, awaiting a total take-over of our land by these Syrians and Philistines,” he said “as youths we ask our fathers to support these moves or be ready to disown us because we can no longer watch and pray when the enemy devastates and make our lands desolate.

“While prayers are good and great, taking corresponding actions like court actions and street protests, rallies are very necessary; these must not just be once. They must go on and must be sustained.

“Christians must bring out their funds to support this. We must all be involved. We dare the army to unleash their terror on us. We will march the streets with the Holy Bible in our right hands and placards on the left.

“We shall protest to the National Assembly, fast and pray there and if necessary like Esther, if we perish we perish. They have killed Ken in cold blood, they want to kill Tompolo and Alhaji Dokubo Asari, and all those who can speak against injustice in the region.

“The way things are going a Niger Delta, just like Major Isaac Adaka Boro declared, let us declare a Niger Delta Republic, let us be free from this slavery, for we all in the Niger Delta are slaves and, like Samson, exist only for the pleasure of the Philistines.

“We must not be content with only deceptive developmental programmes, we must demand for self determination. The time is now, the Church must lead the cry for a Niger Delta Republic for Nigeria is a failed nation and a forced union.

“We wish to warn that those who oppress the oppressed and drive them underground will not only meet with odium, but the volcanic eruption that goes with being bottled up and driven underground,” Anighoro added.

While the NDCYM decries these acts of hostage taking, kidnapping and other criminal acts that the Bible condemns, “we are also ashamed that some of our brothers and sisters take just a passing interest in the struggle.

“Worse is that over half of our youths do not even understand the issues involved in the struggle as long as they can drink beer, feed themselves and clothe themselves, even the unemployed are so indifferent,” the statement pointed out.

“You call the militants selfish, you say they are fighting for their pockets, but we challenge our brothers and sisters to show us what they have contributed to the cause of these men who fight daily and whose life are constantly in danger because of us all. When they ask for funds we treat them as beggars and slaves hence they have taken to criminality and others to help sustain the struggle and their families. We are all guilty,” he said.