Nigeria: Politicians Behind Recent Violence

Calabar — Ex-militants undergoing non-violence transformational training at the Obubra Post Amnesty Camp in Cross River State have disassociated themselves from recent spate of attacks in the Niger Delta by MEND and few other groups.

Speaking to journalists at the camp in Obubra as Batch 9 of the ex-militants resumed training, the ex-militants said top politicians in the Niger Delta region are responsible for the spate of violence to achieve their selfish goals.

According to the ex-militants, "What is going on is criminality and top politicians and political office holders are behind it because they have been talking to some of us.

"Before we arrived here early last week to start this training, the government of Bayelsa State through some agents approached some boys selling the idea of recruiting us to fight for them in the coming 2011 election. But since we embraced amnesty we cannot go back to be hunted like animals by soldiers"

George Silva, an ex-militant from Ogunboss Camp, Bayelsa State said he has leant to make peace in his community and to have respect for constituted authority.

According to him, "It is not everybody that is saying, I am a militant that is a militant. Militancy is not criminality. Some people are criminals and tagging themselves militants. I cannot see any reason why you say you are fighting for a cause and at the same time, they say you should drop arms and get what you want and you say no; and you keep on doing those things you are not supposed to do. What are you fighting for? What is the freedom about? Those are criminals".

"Anybody that would allow himself be used by a politician for anything to cause trouble here or outside, I see that person as a foolish person. You have been rehabilitated. You have what it takes. If a politician can wear a Marks and Spencers shirt, you too with the help of this thing can wear it so what is the use of a politician asking you to use your shirt to fight. Why not him using his own. So I don't see any means that someone will use to convince you to go and fight for him when you also have money. We are also big men by the grace of God".

He said some politicians are bent on seeing that the Post-Amnesty programme does not succeed so that they would have people they would use to advance their selfish interests.

Another ex-militant, Tony Patrick from Boyloaf group in Delta State, who said he was a storekeeper of arms, also said "I love the programme. I have learnt a lot. I will tell any politician who comes to me now to go away. I am free. My advice is that according to what information given to us is that if you go back to your bad acts, you will be killed. That is the law. So advise other boys to stay calm and achieve what they came for.

"No boy that has passed through here will go out and do anything bad. I cannot go back to my old life. I can never be violent anymore. Let the politicians go and use their children. We are not doing anything for them again. Everything is going smoothly inside the camp here".

24-years old Innocent Ayakwo Okoro from River State said he was combatant soldier in the Camp but that since the amnesty programme, "I have had free movement in town. I can express my freedom of expression and my rights and I commend the programme so much.

"As I leave here, I am going to teach other people what I have e learnt from here which is non-violence. With what I have learnt here, there would be no violence. Through this process that the Federal Government has started with the youth of the Niger Delta, I think there would be no violence anymore in Nigeria, not even Niger Delta. Because when at least 1000 people pass through this training, at least one person can reach out to 1000 and the chain effect goes on like that then the rate of crime would be less in this country not only in the Niger Delta".

MEND claims responsibility for attack on ExxonMobil

Yenagoa—The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has claimed responsibility for the attack on the American oil giant, ExxonMobil facility in Akwa Ibom State.

The group also threatened to launch a major operation that would simultaneously affect oil facilities across the Niger Delta.

But the Joint Task Force, JTF, assured indigenes of the Niger Delta of their safety stressing that the security outfit is working round the clock to rid the region of criminal elements masquerading as militants and engaging in all manner of atrocities.

MEND, in an online statement signed by its Spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said the attack on the Ibeno facility was carried out by its fighters.

The statement reads: “The attack commenced at approximately 2040hrs Nigerian time and terminated at approximately 2237hrs Nigerian time after our fighters detonated explosives they had earlier rigged to this facility, causing considerable damage.

“Like in the previous attack, on the shallow-water Okoro oilfield on November 7, 2010, seven local employees were abducted. They were taken to prevent the Nigerian government from attributing the damage to this facility to an industrial accident.

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, wishes to draw the attention of the International Community to the indiscriminate bombing and strafing of communities in the Niger Delta and locations in the creeks and swamps suspected of accommodating militia camps by the Nigerian military.”

It alleged that “At about 1400hrs on November 15, 2010, the Nigerian Army carried out such an attack as described above, in the general vicinity of one of our camps in Rivers State in the Niger Delta.

“Expatriate hostages held at this location had to be removed and relocated for their safety as rocket attacks by the Nigerian military came very close to these individuals.”

The group urged the Nigerian government to be mindful of the fact that these activities are endangering the lives of these hostages who otherwise, would come to no harm in their custody warning that no amount of military activities will secure the release of the hostages as they would be released at their own time.

“The Nigerian government till date has refused to dialogue over addressing the injustice in the Niger Delta preferring instead to deceive the world into believing that the Niger Delta issue has being resolved by the government of Goodluck Jonathan who has only being successful in bribing a few miscreants.

“In the coming weeks, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) will launch a major operation that will simultaneously affect oil facilities across the Niger Delta,”

Meanwhile, the Joint Task Force has assured indigenes of the Niger Delta of their safety stressing that the security outfit is working round the clock to rid the region of criminal elements masquerading as militants who have been engaging in all atrocities such as like kidnapping, sea robbery and illegal boarding of oil production platforms.

The Coordinator Joint Media Campaign Centre, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha in a statement said, “you will recall that in the last few weeks, criminal gangs masquerading as militants have been engaging in all atrocities, like kidnapping, sea robbery and illegal boarding of oil production platforms.

“The JTF is currently in an operation to rid the Niger Delta of these criminal elements, in order for the region to experience the needed peace and security which are imperatives for sustainable development.

“All law abiding indigenes of communities hosting these criminals are advised to remain clam and promptly report suspicious characters to relevant military authorities.”