Omon-Julius Onabu and Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt
1 September 2008
Warri — The security Joint Task Force (JTF), code-named 'Operation Restore Hope', has alleged that the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) had concluded plans to unleash fresh wave of violence on the Niger-Delta.
This is coming on the heels of claims by the militants that they killed over two dozen military personnel during encounters in the region, a claim the JTF yesterday said was 'false and laughable.'
A statement signed by Gbomo Jomo on behalf of MEND, had claimed that the militants killed 29 Nigerian security personnel while it lost six of its members, during reprisal attacks against the JTF carried out simultaneously in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States .
The MEND said that it carried out the attacks in an operation code-named 'Operation Hunter Hunted'.
Reacting yesterday, however, Spokesman of JTF in Rivers State, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa dismissed the claim as 'mere dubious and sordid propaganda.' He said there had been no encounter or clash between the JTF and any militant group in the last one week and wondered where MEND concocted the lies it circulated to the press from..
A miffed Musa said the lies the militant groups have resorted to was the thrashing of a dying group since the miscreants were fast losing the sympathy of the members of the society due to the negative effects of their activities.
Commander of the JTF, Brig-Gen Naven Wuyep Rimtip, however added that the outfit would not relent in its war against illegal bunkering, illegal oil refining and other forms of criminality threatening peace and security in the region no matter the level of blackmail.
The JTF authorities said that its intelligence revealed that the planned attacks , which would primarily target JTF locations particularly in Delta and Bayelsa states, has topped the agenda at series of MEND's recent meetings.
The latest of such meetings by the military wing of MEND, according to JTF, was held at Igbedi, a town in Kolokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, noting the purpose of the plan was to rubbish the recent operational successes in the region.
"MEND is obviously looking for new ways of helping their propaganda's course", the JTF said, claiming the locations with gunboats would be the main target, because the militants hoped to obtain some arms and ammunition in the process.
Several other militant groups attended the Igbedi meeting of the dreaded movement, a dependable security source close to the JTF confided in THISDAY yesterday.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
