MEND says military action is “genocide”

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has accused the Nigerian government of perpetrating “genocide” in the ongoing military onslaught on the militants in the Niger Delta region.

The military Joint Task Force launched its biggest offensive in years on Friday, May 15, after an attack on its troops by militants in Delta State. The military say two officers and 11 other soldiers are missing following the militants’ attack.

MEND, however, said the soldiers were killed by its fighters. “The soldiers are dead and the army is aware,” their spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said. “They are using the ‘missing’ angle to perpetrate genocide... let the army send in divers to where the skirmishes took place if they are serious about recovering the bodies.”

Killed or missing officers

MEND also claims that a son of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, was among those killed. But military authorities refute this claim.

“We understand that the Lt. Col that was among those killed is the son of former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar. The officer was on a bunkering assignment for some powerful northern retired generals.”

MEND claims

Major General Sarkin-Yaki Bello, commander of the task force, however said the assertion was untrue. “That’s a lie,” he said. “There is no Lieutenant Colonel among them. The officers who are missing are two Lieutenants.”

Militants’ camps in western Delta state have been pummelled from the air with helicopter gunships and raided by sea with naval gunboats as the military tries to flush out suspected militants.

The task force has vowed to continue with its offensive, saying the “cordon-and-search” operation would continue until the missing troops were found.

Gbomo also said he doubts if a request that the United Nations should intervene in the crisis would amount to anything.

“I doubt it will amount to much,” he said. “Nigeria is a failed state that has no respect for human rights. The JTF has a dubious agenda and is only using this crisis to perpetuate it.”