Foremost Niger Delta leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has criticized the comparison of what he considers legitimate agitators of the region to “blood-sucking bandits” in the north, describing it as not only obnoxious but also criminal.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, he stated that those who suggest such a comparison are displaying ignorance and myopic thinking.

He specifically objected to the positions of former Zamfara State governor, Sani Yerima, and the Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who argued for the federal government to grant amnesty to the bandits in the northwest, similar to the Niger Delta militants.

“My first reaction to those who compare the murderous, blood-sucking bandits from the northern part of the country with the legitimate agitators from the Niger Delta is one of pity for their ignorance of national affairs and their myopic thinking,” he said.

Chief Clark commended the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) for condemning Yerima’s advice. However, he expressed regret over what he deemed an unfortunate statement credited to the new Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja.

The Army Chief had suggested a review of the Niger Delta Amnesty programme, expressing concerns that it has provided an opportunity for “re-organizing and launching attacks on defenceless citizens.”

In response, Clark stated, “The statement of the Chief of Army Staff comes across to me as a proposal for scrapping the amnesty granted to legitimate agitators for a better life and environment by the Niger Delta youths.” He warned against such a move, as he believed it could ignite a fresh crisis in the region.