The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) says Hurricane Piper Alpha will be upgraded to Hurricane Moses, witihin 72 hours, if the federal government does not accede to their demands.
In a statement to NEXT, MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said one of the region's kings, Egbema kingdom was abducted by soldiers from the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) and is feared to have been killed. He said the killing, if confirmed, will result in a harsh reaction from the group.
Mr. Gbomo repeated the movement's advice to four oil majors still operating in the region to evacuate the volatile area. He also warned prospective investors in the Trans Sahara Gas pipeline to desist from such action as they will ensure that "it faces the same fate other pipelines are facing today."
Below is the full statement by Jomo Gbomo:
"A traditional ruler from the oil
bearing Egbema kingdom in the Niger Delta, HRM Isaac Thikan, the
Agadagba of Egbema and a staunch critic of the military excesses in the
region was forcibly abducted on June 24, 2009 by the JTF and taken to
their headquarters in Effurun, Warri where we are hearing he may have
been killed.
If confirmed to be true, the extra-judicial
killing of a royal father after the destruction of the palace of the
Gbaramatu monarch will be the last straw and will certainly have dire
consequences.
Tompolo has requested that we refute the story
carried in the Vanguard newspaper which claimed he was requesting for
the amnesty being proposed by the government to criminals through Chief
E. K. Clark.
Professor J.P. Clark's suggestion on armistice as
against amnesty for freedom fighters is what MEND and Tompolo are
favorably disposed to for adoption as the next step to take towards
resolving the crisis.
While the government is talking about
amnesty on one hand, the JTF on the other is still carrying out
punitive scorched earth policy on communities around oil facilities as
a way of permanently relocating the people from their ancestral homes
and turning the area into an oil mining area.
The July 2, 2009
attack was carried out on the Abiteye community in Delta state by the
JTF. We will not be surprised if the army denies it or simply blame it
on unknown soldiers.
The burning down of this community even
when the inhabitants have fled will be revenged and it is the oil
companies that will bear the brunt.
The recent comments by Vice
President Goodluck Jonathan that criminal barons are frustrating the
amnesty implementation is not true. The government's insincerity is the
major cause where one sees the Interior Minister travelling from Abuja
to Port Harcourt to talk to fake representatives of militant commanders
but can not travel the shorter distance to see Henry Okah who is dying
and needs urgent medical attention.
The Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) hereby warns the investors to
the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project that unless the Niger Delta root
issues have been addressed and resolved, any money put into the project
will go down the drain as we will ensure that it faces the same fate
other pipelines are facing today.
We want to use this
opportunity to warn the remaining companies still operating in the
region, namely Agip, Total, Shell and Exxon Mobil to leave while there
is still time because within the next 72 Hours Hurricane Piper Alpha
will be upgraded to Hurricane Moses."
Jomo Gbomo
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