It also seemed to rule out the involvement of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo as he was on the run and locked in to his own stand-off with the military Joint Task Force (JTF) around Chevron's Escravos base...
Tompolo's firepower is focussed on keeping the JTF at bay...
At the same time the Avengers issued a four-day ultimatum for Tompolo to apologise for denouncing them; reinforcing the competition among militants gangs in the Delta...
Then the Avengers threatened to take their grievances to Tompolo's home turf in the western Delta at Oporoza Gbaramatu Kingdom...
The Avengers' Spokesman Colonel Mudoch Agbinibo demanded an apology from Tompolo for criticising their activities...
Tompolo's Media Advisor Paul Bebenimibo said his boss would never apologise to the Avengers for any imagined slight...
If not for his present issues with the Federal Government he (Tompolo) would have gone after them and exposed them...
Several other militant groups have pledged loyalty to the Buhari government including Eris Paul aka General Ogunboss and his partner Africanus Ukparasia Tuwonwei aka General Africa along with political ally Timipre Sylva a former PDP Governor of Bayelsa who then defected to the APC (AC Vol 56 No 25 Taking down Tompolo)...
Activists in the Delta now talk of a generational split between leaders such as Tompolo and Africa who benefited from amnesty programmes and security contracts in the past and who are publicly arguing that Buhari should be given a chance...
Avengers threatenAgbinibo has talked up the Avengers' fight with Tompolo with the military and the government: 'If the International oil companies and federal government of Nigeria thinks the Niger Delta Avengers are criminal as they claim and fail to meet our demands the Niger Delta Avengers are going to activate its elite unit code name Strike Team 1...
Picking a fight with Tompolo and the army at the same time looks audacious requiring serious finance access to arms and well-trained fighters...