Lagos — Following the frightening death toll of innocent civilians in the latest cross fire between government troops and Niger Delta militants, which betrayed the inability of government to amicably resolve the region's crisis, the Advocacy Team of the Peoples' National Conference said it is set to meet with militant groups in the Niger Delta, especially those fighting on the side of principle.

This disclosure was made on Wednesday in Lagos by PRONACO spokesperson Mr Olawale Okunniyi.

He said, "The Advocacy team of the Peoples' National Conference is deeply worried at the death toll of defenseless citizens caught in the cross fire of the renewed armed fighting between government forces and militia in Port Harcourt and may have to consider setting up a strategic engagement with self determination groups in the Niger Delta in curbing the dangerous trend."

Okunniyi said the strategic engagement is targeted at warding off a scenario where the Niger Delta struggle will be forced into criminality and discredited by contrived activities of agent provocateurs and fifth columnists and it is designed to be is to be facilitated by Chief Anthony Enahoro and Prof Wole Soyinka who, last year, carried out assessment work in the Niger Delta under the auspices of concerned Nobel Laureates.