The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta has named the militants behind the attack on an AGIP oil installation on Saturday. The task force called on the suspects to report to its office before 12 noon on Wednesday, February 8, 2012.
In a statement signed by its Media Coordinator, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha, the JTF identified the suspects as Friday Burutu, Lord Onipa, Robinson Agagudu, Eyala Karo, Stanley Uduorie, Para Ekiyes and Rasmus Omukoro.
The JTF statement reads, “The Joint Task Force wishes to reiterate its earlier warning that the suspects and their cohorts are out to swindle Niger Deltans by appropriating the identity of the erstwhile leadership of MEND to advance their selfish interest.
“For the avoidance of doubt, people who were the leadership of MEND are now responsible members of the society, having accepted the amnesty.”
Describing MEND’s statement as a “tissue of lies”, the JTF advised members of the public to remain calm and discountenance the militant group’s threat.
It noted that the relevant stages of the amnesty that was granted to authentic ex-militants and the attendant benefits were still on course.
However, MEND in a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, on Monday said it would carry out some major attacks on oil installations in the oil region to demonstrate the helplessness of the Federal Government in the Niger Delta region.
The statement reads, “To the South African government, we accept your challenge and will show you how easy it is to drive your investments out of our region. If the Nigerian government cannot protect companies like Shell and Chevron, how will they manage to protect an insignificant SacOil?
“Within the next few weeks, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta will carry out a few major attacks on oil installations to demonstrate to the world the helplessness of oil companies and the Nigerian military.
“After next attacks, there will be a brief pause as we await the time agreed upon by all groups in the delta for the resumption of hostilities in the Niger Delta.”
Reacting to the statement by the JTF, MEND said Antigha failed to comprehend the gravity of the unfolding situation in the region.
“MEND wishes to respond to the ignorant comments of the spokesperson for the JTF, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, and the government of South Africa through its Ministry of International Affairs. The JTF spokesperson in his little mind is failing to comprehend the gravity of the situation unfolding in the Niger Delta and attributes our attack on the Agip pipeline to instigation by imaginary persons interested in benefiting from the fraud that was the disarmament process in the Niger Delta,” the statement reads.
But, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, on Monday expressed confidence in the ability of the JTF to deal with MEND’s threat.
Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the government’s amnesty programme, condemned the attack by MEND as “unconscionable and unacceptable,” a statement by the spokesman for the Amnesty Office in Abuja, Mr. Henry Ugbolu, stated.
“Following the widely reported threat by persons claiming to be elements of the MEND to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, wishes to reiterate the confidence of the Presidential Amnesty Office in the ability of the nation’s security agencies and Armed Forces to tackle security challenges in the Niger Delta as well as other parts of Nigeria,” the statement by Ugbolu reads in part.
The MEND’s statement on Sunday had said the group was resuming hostilities in the oil rich region and warned security agents to heed the warnings they would be giving before major attacks in order to minimise civilian casualties. It also threatened attacks on South African firms in the country, including MTN and SacOil.
The MTN General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Funmi Omogbenigun, on Monday said her company relied on government on security matters.
“Matters related to national security are the responsibility of the government and we trust that this threat, like others, will be given the necessary attention by it,” she said.
In a statement signed by its Media Coordinator, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha, the JTF identified the suspects as Friday Burutu, Lord Onipa, Robinson Agagudu, Eyala Karo, Stanley Uduorie, Para Ekiyes and Rasmus Omukoro.
The JTF statement reads, “The Joint Task Force wishes to reiterate its earlier warning that the suspects and their cohorts are out to swindle Niger Deltans by appropriating the identity of the erstwhile leadership of MEND to advance their selfish interest.
“For the avoidance of doubt, people who were the leadership of MEND are now responsible members of the society, having accepted the amnesty.”
Describing MEND’s statement as a “tissue of lies”, the JTF advised members of the public to remain calm and discountenance the militant group’s threat.
It noted that the relevant stages of the amnesty that was granted to authentic ex-militants and the attendant benefits were still on course.
However, MEND in a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, on Monday said it would carry out some major attacks on oil installations in the oil region to demonstrate the helplessness of the Federal Government in the Niger Delta region.
The statement reads, “To the South African government, we accept your challenge and will show you how easy it is to drive your investments out of our region. If the Nigerian government cannot protect companies like Shell and Chevron, how will they manage to protect an insignificant SacOil?
“Within the next few weeks, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta will carry out a few major attacks on oil installations to demonstrate to the world the helplessness of oil companies and the Nigerian military.
“After next attacks, there will be a brief pause as we await the time agreed upon by all groups in the delta for the resumption of hostilities in the Niger Delta.”
Reacting to the statement by the JTF, MEND said Antigha failed to comprehend the gravity of the unfolding situation in the region.
“MEND wishes to respond to the ignorant comments of the spokesperson for the JTF, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, and the government of South Africa through its Ministry of International Affairs. The JTF spokesperson in his little mind is failing to comprehend the gravity of the situation unfolding in the Niger Delta and attributes our attack on the Agip pipeline to instigation by imaginary persons interested in benefiting from the fraud that was the disarmament process in the Niger Delta,” the statement reads.
But, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, on Monday expressed confidence in the ability of the JTF to deal with MEND’s threat.
Kuku, who is also the Chairman of the government’s amnesty programme, condemned the attack by MEND as “unconscionable and unacceptable,” a statement by the spokesman for the Amnesty Office in Abuja, Mr. Henry Ugbolu, stated.
“Following the widely reported threat by persons claiming to be elements of the MEND to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, wishes to reiterate the confidence of the Presidential Amnesty Office in the ability of the nation’s security agencies and Armed Forces to tackle security challenges in the Niger Delta as well as other parts of Nigeria,” the statement by Ugbolu reads in part.
The MEND’s statement on Sunday had said the group was resuming hostilities in the oil rich region and warned security agents to heed the warnings they would be giving before major attacks in order to minimise civilian casualties. It also threatened attacks on South African firms in the country, including MTN and SacOil.
The MTN General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mrs. Funmi Omogbenigun, on Monday said her company relied on government on security matters.
“Matters related to national security are the responsibility of the government and we trust that this threat, like others, will be given the necessary attention by it,” she said.
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