By Emma Arubi
WARRI—Former militants in Sokebolou/Yokri communities in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State,  have threatened Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, pipeline surveillance contractors and community leaders over non-employment and continued marginalization.

The former militants also want the state government and the security agencies to intervene and call the Shell contractors and leaders to order to avert another round of pipeline vandalization in the state, saying that they are being  tempted to go back to the creeks by bringing non-militants to execute jobs meant for them.

In a statement by Commander Binebi Adowei and Don Anumu Believe, the former militants claimed  responsibility for all the vandalisation of facilities in Sokebolou/Yokri axis of the state, adding that they were still capable of doing more,  if pushed to the wall.

According to them, “these pipeline surveillance contractors and community leaders are trying to provoke us back into acts of vandalism so that they can go to the negotiating table to negotiate business for themselves.”

while pretending to be leaders of our communities, this time we shall not give them that opportunity to use us as sacrificial lamb while they smile to the banks.”

“We were the people who seriously engage in vandalism of this pipelines and we were doing it because we were jobless and marginalized. And now that Shell has awarded the surveillance contract, we can’t be at the corner and watch some criminals get away with our sweat without due regards”, they said.

They said the fact that they had accepted amnesty does not mean they were  down and out. They called on former warlord, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo alias Tompolo to put pressure on the contractors to give them their dues.