MEND Holds Off on Attacks for Elections

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Nigeria’s most well known militant group, announced that it was calling off its planned bombings and attacks of oil installations. The group said that its attack plans were put on hold to allow for a safe election process to take place.

Nigeria’s elections were scheduled to take place over the next couple weeks or so, however due to widespread organizational problems, the election dates have been pushed back. The new dates will now be April 9 for parliamentary polls, April 16 for presidential elections, and April 26 for governorship and state assembly polls, electoral commission chief Attahiru Jega told journalists. Parliamentary polls were due to be held today, presidential polls had been set for April 9, and state ballots on April 16.

MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said the group took the decision after careful consideration, and decided to delay the attacks until after the election, if they were indeed still needed.

A statement sent to the press read:

“After careful consideration and extensive consultation, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (M.EN.D) today, Saturday April 02, 2011, has decided to temporarily call off our planned bomb and oil installations attacks to allow for a safe general election.

“This was ordered in the hope that the new government of Nigeria would consider true dialogue founded on a sincere desire to bring justice to the people of the Niger Delta, and true peace to Nigeria.

“After billions of Naira spent, all the government of Goodluck Jonathan has to show for its amnesty and re-integration program is colossal failure as the true intention of the program was hijacked for personal and political greed by the likes of Timi Alaibe who, all he did, was steal and divert funds allocated for this program into his political ambition. This mantle of fraud was then passed onto a clueless Kingsley Kuku who goes about deceiving the country in believing the amnesty program is a success.

“The architect of the amnesty program in the Niger Delta, the late President Yar’adua, intended this process to be a precursor to formal dialogue in that achieving a just and lasting solution to the unrest in the Niger Delta.

“The government of Goodluck Jonathan and the oil companies believe the spirit of agitation in the Niger Delta has been blown away with the bribing of a few thugs it has labelled stakeholders. They assume giving alms to the youths of the delta will secure installations but the government fails to understand that if the root issues of these agitations are not addressed, we would only be going round circles resulting in more groups springing up and no peace in the Niger Delta.

“The Movement for the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to state categorically that it has no affiliations with tribal assemblies such as the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) and Ijaw National Congress (INC). They neither represent nor speak for the freedom fighters of MEND which comprises fighters from every tribe in the Niger Delta.

“If we see no sign by the new government for a dialogue at addressing our key issues, we will take that as a green light from the government to commence with our struggle which will be very detrimental to all oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.”

Jomo Gbomo