MEND Nigeria-Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta-MEND-Official News Site -tracking News, Articles, Interviews and Opinions, related to MEND- from 1999 to Present
Daily Independent (Lagos)
interview
Lagos - TIMIPRE SYLVA, Governor of Bayelsa State is one man at the centre of the implementation of the amnesty offer by the Federal Government to restive youths in the creeks of Nigeria's Niger Delta region. As a former lawmaker, though at the State Assembly level, it is believed he understands the importance of compromise and accommodation in the politics of the oil river basin.
Daily Independent (Lagos)
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Lagos - Amid growing uncertainties concerning the amnesty package for militants in the Niger Delta engineered by the Federal Government, Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, blew hot during the week, threatening to crush militants who failed to turn in their arms during the amnesty period which ends on October 4. His threat came as part of his government campaign to wipe out waterfronts, including the ones in Okrika, whose owners have tried to stop him from pulling down. He said his decision to demolish the shanties was toughened after arms were discovered in some of them. The governor pointed out that 80 per cent of crime committed in Port Harcourt incubated on the waterfronts, which serve as hideouts for criminals.
interview
pokesman of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Jomo Gbomo has explained the reason for the recent secret meeting between the leader of Camp 5, Government Ekpemupolo and the supposed leader of the group, Henry Okah.
Lagos/Abuja/ - A total of 80 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) cargoes, each worth about $15 million ($1.2 billion) has reportedly gone down the drain, following the closure of Shell-operated Soku Gas plant nine months ago.
Soku Gas plant, located at Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, suffered an attack on its feeder last year. The attackers, suspected to be militants, drilled holes on the pipelines in order to steal condensates.
Daily Independent (Lagos)
Lagos - Governor Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa State has faulted the comment by former Chief of General Staff, Mike Akhigbe, that the surrendering of arms by militants in exchange for amnesty is a public relations gimmick.
analysis
When the Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF) on the Niger-Delta, Major-General Sarkin Yarkin-Bello told newsmen in May shortly after the task force commenced its aborted Cordon and Search operation in Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State that the task force had uncovered information that the leader of Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) is Government Ekpemupolo, the leader of the militant group, Camp 5 in Gbaramatu kingdom of Delta State.
Militants in Rivers state are embracing the presidential amnesty. No fewer than eighty have so far gone for it. Some of them are Solomon Degbara a.k.a Osama Bin Laden, Soboma George and their boys.
According to a police source, even some youths that had been declared wanted for robbery operations have joined the long list of those showing up for the amnesty.
Defence Minister, Major General Godwin Abbe (rtd), and Governor Timi-pre Sylva of Bayelsa State have spoken out forcefully against threat of renewed attacks by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) at the end of the 60 days amnesty offered by the Federal Government.