Emma Amaize, Miebi Senge and Jimitota Onoyume
20 September 2008
The declaration of "Oil War" by the main militant group in the Niger Delta, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), sparked off gun duels between the militants and the Joint Task Force, JTF, on several fronts in the region yesterday leaving at least 10 suspected militants dead.
The militants however, scored a hit when they destroyed a major pipeline belonging to the Shell militants Petroleum Development Company at Elem Kalabari, Cajuthone channel in Rivers State.
Two South Africans that were caught in the shootout between the Joint Task Force and the militants were rescued.
The South Africans were released following aa plea for their release from Azuka Okah, wife of the detained MEND leader, Henry Okah.
Former Governor of Delta State, Chief James Ibori has also joined the fray, appealing to both factions to sheath their sword. He said, "If there is a season for everything under the sun as the Bible says, there is a time for war and a time for peace.
Then this is the time for cessation of hostilities in the entire Niger Delta. Having heard the anguished cry of the people of the South-South, President Umaru Yar'Adua is determined to end the suffering of the people, and has therefore approved a large scale intervention in the form of the Niger Delta ministry to reverse decades old under-development which the area has suffered."
The renewed violence was evidence that moves by some Niger-Delta elders led by Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, to end the violence has been snubbed by MEND.
Tagged, Human Babaross, the oil war was declared, last Sunday, September 14 by MEND following an alleged JTF attack on one of its camps in Rivers State.
10 militants die
No fewer than ten militants would have lost their lives yesterday when they engaged men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Okrika waters. According to spokesman of the security body, Lieutenant Col. Sagir Musa the militants in eight speed boats had attempted to attack the refinery jetty but were successfully repelled by men of the JTF on ground
Sagir said that during an exchange of fire the soldiers sank three of the speed boats belonging to the militants. And he feared that the occupants would have died. "Three speed boats were sunk. Casualty figure not known. And no casualty at our end." He also dismissed as untrue allegations by the militants that they attacked a shell facility in Elem Kalabari.
Also when contacted, Mr. Precious Okolobo of Shell said he was not aware of the damage to their facility. But he quickly added that the company would still carry out check on the facility.
Meanwhile, the militants in a statement issued under the aegis of MEND said they blew up the company's facility in the community. The statement reads: "At 1830 hrs today (Friday), September 18, 2008, fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) using high explosives have destroyed a major pipeline belonging to Shell Development Company at the Elem-Kalabari Cawthorne Channel axis in Rivers State of Nigeria.
"A gunboat patrol that happened to bump into the MEND fighters begged for their lives and showed their magazines to proof that they had not fired from their guns. They were spared and allowed to go but not after they had pledged loyalty to the struggle and denounced the criminality of the oil companies and the government. One of the soldiers actually defecated in his trousers.
"The men have returned safely to base as another team was getting set to return two South African hostages to a drop off zone."
Militants claim attack on Shell facility
Militants claimed on Thursday that they destroyed a major pipeline belonging to the Shell Petroleum Development Company at Elem Kalabari, Cawthorne Channel, and Rivers State with explosives.
The two South African hostages that were rescued by the MEND, but, trapped in the crossfire between the military and militants, which led to the declaration of an "oil war" were also released, yesterday.
Mrs. Azuka Okah, wife of the detained MEND leader, Henry Okah was said to have sent an e-mail to the MEND, appealing to the group to release the South-African hostages because South Africa has been good to the Okah family since they moved to the country.
The MEND in a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said, "At 1830 hrs today, September 18, 2008, fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) using high explosives have destroyed a major pipeline belonging to Shell Development Company at the Elem-Kalabari Cawthorne Channel axis in Rivers state of Nigeria.
"A gunboat patrol that happened to bump into the MEND fighters begged for their lives and showed their magazines to proof that they had not fired from their guns. They were spared and allowed to go but not after they had pledged loyalty to the struggle and denounced the criminality of the oil companies and the government. One of the soldiers actually defecated in his trousers.
"The men have returned safely to base as another team was getting set to return two South African hostages to a drop off zone," it said.
On the two South-African hostages, he said, "The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) can categorically confirm that the two South African hostages rescued by MEND from sea pirates have been released unharmed today (yesterday) September 18, 2008.
"The duo were handed over to government secret service officials at 2300 hrs, who will in turn hand them over to representatives of the South African High Commission in Port Harcourt, Rivers State of Nigeria.
"This genuine release puts to rest speculations and anxiety to the families and the people of South Africa caused by the false statement from the obtuse spokesman of the military Joint Task 'Fraud' (JTF).
"In this case, the army had hoped to cash in on a deliberate misinformation we put out and take the credit for a role they had no part in.
"We have been wondering how foolish he must have looked when they could not produce the hostages they said were 'released without any ransom payment'.
"With this exposure, Nigerians and the world can now see that we have a military of deceit who have lied about their combat losses and gains, role in extra-judicial killings, rape, genocide and oil theft," the militia group stated.
Ibori sues for peace
Former Governor Ibori said that what is needed now is discussion over the activities and funding of the ministry and how best to make it meet the aspirations of the people. He therefore called on all persons of goodwill to join in this peace effort and stop hostilities, to enable the development process the Federal Government has put in place now to succeed.
"War is like a malignant cancer. It usually spreads uncontrollably to other areas. Therefore both sides must listen to the voice of reason and stop the conflagration now," he said.
Chief Ibori calls on the angry youth of the Niger Delta to have faith in the President and his new initiative. He said, "The Niger Delta and Nigeria needs their energy re-channelled into really productive ventures.
The educated ones among them should be encouraged to contribute their talents to the needed battle of speeding Nigeria and Africa on the part of swift development and global respect, and themselves towards personal fulfilment and glory. The uneducated has to face intellectual and skill acquisition to enable them compete in the national and global space.
"Fortunately, the focus of the new ministry is two-pronged. While one corrects the abysmal lack of infrastructure in the area, the other faces the task of upgrading the intellectual and talent pool of the area."
Chief Ibori urged the youth of the area to take advantage of this by ending the hostilities, emerge from their hiding places, and exploit the opportunities that now beckon. "If not, when peace eventually returns, they would find, like child soldiers/militia everywhere that while they were fighting in the bush, life has passed them by, and that they lack the skills needed in an ever modernising economy. This is true of freedom fighters in Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa , etc."
To the militants Ibori sends a message: "You have made your point. The whole world now knows that your grievances are genuine, and for the first time, the Federal Government is truly addressing them. In every journey, there is always a place to stop.
Your predecessor in arms, the late Major Isaac Adaka Boro realised this, came out from the bush, and reintegrated himself into the society -after leading the first Niger Delta uprising in the 1960s. You too must do like-wise."
At the same time he reminds the JTF troops that what they have been tasked to stop is an internal disagreement and so they have to be mindful of the amount of force to employ in restoring order in the blighted Niger Delta. "The militants are Nigerians and have never repudiated their nationality; their fight is for a just order for them and their children in a true federation. In fact, your good conduct could even help win them over," he said.
Chief Ibori commends all persons of goodwill who have joined in this wholesome peace effort and says that, "The oil war must stop so that a calculated, swift and massive development of the area should begin.
But there is a prerequisite for this development. Peace, justice and understanding that would help knit Nigeria's various ethnic groups into one strong and united country," he added.
MEND shuns N'Delta elders
Meanwhile, out of a deluge of nominations for the Minister of Niger Delta, President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua is believed to have picked Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the BGL Limited, Mr. Albert Okumagba for the plum job.
Okumagba, from Delta State and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2007 gubernatorial aspirant and a young entrepreneur, is believed to have been nominated by Vice President Goodluck Jonathan.
It is said that Okumagba would get the support of Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark.
Some Ijaw youths under the umbrella of the Ijaw Youth Leadership Forum (IYLF) were also understood to be pushing forward the secretary of the Federal Government Committee on Conflict Resolution in the Niger-Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku as the Minister of State in the Ministry.
Spokesman of the MEND, Jomo Gbomo, in an exclusive reply via electronic mail to an inquiry by Saturday Vanguard on the peace move by Chief Clark said, "We will not listen to him (Clark) this time with all due respect. A hurricane must run its full circle before down grading to a tropical storm."
But Cynthia Whyte, spokesperson to MEND, explaining why the group declared the 'oil war' told Saturday Vanguard that the Joint Task Force (JTF) attacked an Ijaw community last Saturday, and "must be made to pay for their transgressions".
The spokesperson accused the JTF of falsifying its media responses to the conflict in order to save their jobs, saying that MEND has decided to show pictures of dead soldiers and attacked facilities.
"You must have noticed that the JTF has begun a rapid media response plan aimed at undermining every action that we take.
Top military brass knows that they may lose their jobs if they do not begin strong media offensives. Notice how quickly they respond with stereotyped responses such as 'It's a lie', 'they didn't kill our soldiers, we killed them', etc etc.
"Recently, we are informed that the military have begun to threaten media houses who refuse to tilt the glory to the side of the armed forces of the Nigerian state. To this end, we have decided to start taking photographs of dead soldiers and attacked facilities. The best way to quell an argument is to show evidence."
Whyte did not say when the conflict will end.
But Clark, who was in Abuja, last Wednesday to meet with the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs and possibly with President Umaru Yar'Adua for them to order their men to suspend further hostility with the militants, was jolted by the militant's rejection of his moves.
MEND, through its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in an e-mail to Saturday Vanguard, on peace moves by Chief Clark said, "We will not listen to him (Clark) this time with all due respect. A hurricane must run its full circle before down grading to a tropical storm."
Saying it was unbelievable that the militants were speaking in different voices, Clark explained that he spoke with some of the militants' leaders and got assurances that they would cease-fire before he proceeded to Abuja to hold a meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff and others.
Clark told last Saturday Vanguard, Thursday, said, "I am here in Abuja in respect of the discussions I had with the boys on the way forward and I expect that they should listen to the elders of the region. If they don't listen to their elders, who will they listen to?
"It means they have rejected our representation, because we would not be here representing those that do not listen to the advice of their elders," Clark said.
MEND last June 22 declared a unilateral cease-fire, effective Tuesday, June 24, as a result of the plea by the elders to allow them to dialogue with the Federal Government. MEND had also warned that any attack on its location during the period by the military would tantamount to war.
But it called it off, two weeks after, accusing British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown of promising at the G8 Summit to support the Nigerian government in ending violence in the Niger-Delta. However, it did not declare any war.
Meanwhile, President Yar'Adua is said to have received a large number of nominations for the position as Minister of the new Niger Delta ministry. And he is said to be consulting to ensure that he gets the right person for the job.
But the Vice President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, according to our dependable source, "is actually the person that is supposed to recommend the Minister of Niger-Delta and he had already done so.
"The Presidency is not unaware that announcing an unpopular person as the Minister of Niger-Delta could spell another round of trouble in the capricious region and that is why it has to be careful," the source added.
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It is refreshing to see a rebel group that conducts itself with dignity, self-control and respect for human life -- the world governments could learn a little from MEND.
Given Chief Ibori's appeal I would suggest that our youth listen to him and give the govt a last chance to redeem itself because Mr. Ibori is a patriot with no ulterior motive to gain financially from the issues. Besides, the Professor is fully aware of the underlying cause for the activist's agitation and he's better placed to articulate them during their negotiation, suggest how the grassroots can implement, ensure that the fed govt is not wasting development funds by hiring foreigners to do what local citizens of the region can do for themselves. He can also act as the monitor of the so-called ND Minister (spit) as well as the Presidency's good faith (if it has any) effort to ensure that your demands are implemented to the letter. As Mr. Ibori said, there are times to hold it and there are times to fold it. Folding it doesn't mean capitulation, however. If folding doesn't work thru the conduct of the govt as it creeps back on its promises as it always do, the activist can always go back to holding their ground again. No more status quo of the past where govt just dictate anyhow without consultating with the actual stakeholders - the peoples of Niger Delta. But first, let the JTF pull back to show their good faith to ceasation of hostility. Also, the federal govt should publish its so called "Master Plan" for all to see what the govt have in mind & if it will suffice to meet the people's demands.....