Akure — Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) over the weekend said it had declared war against bad eggs within the group, including those that were engaging in kidnapping in Akwa-Ibom State and other parts of the region.

MEND, in a new year message by its Spokesman, Ajija Bounanawei, said the group would concentrate a large percentage of its activities in the year on cleansing the group of bad elements within it.

The militants' group also condemned in strong terms, the spate of kidnapping in the region, particularly as it affects Akwa-Ibom State, adding that "MEND dissociates itself from such person(s) or group with criminal propensity, as they are alien and antithetical to the region's struggle for emancipation."

While condemning the kidnap in the name of the struggle in the region, especially now in Akwa-Ibom State, Bounanawei said "MEND will deal with such criminals and hand them over to relevant security agencies."

He reminded perpetrators of the dastardly acts of the rescue mission carried out by the organisation last year, in some militants' camps in the creeks of Edo State, where several guns and ammunitions belonging to the police were recovered from some elements who had earlier attacked a police station in Irele, Ondo State, and stole all the guns and ammunition in the station.

"After several days of engaging the criminals in gun duel and open confrontation inside their camps, MEND succeeded in recovering all stolen guns and ammunition, and returned it all to the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Charles Ade Dawodu, in the presence of the state Director of State Security Service (SSS), Boma Sparo-Jack, at the Agadagba-Obon waterfront," Bounana-wei said.

He said the council had decided to launch total war against bad elements within the struggle in any part of the region, adding that only genuine freedom fighters could fish out the bad elements.