Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta
on Sunday claimed that its fighters killed the 12
policemen whose boat was ambushed in Azuzama,
Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, on Saturday and that
the deaths were to teach the security forces a lesson
for scorning its warning.
The militant group had last week announced that it
would resume attacks in the oil rich Niger Delta by
Friday to avenge alleged collaboration between the
Federal Government and South Africa to jail its
former leader, Henry Okah. Security agencies had
dismissed the threat and said they were ready for
MEND which tagged its promised resurgence of
attacks, 'Hurricane Exodus.'
MEND, in an online statement on Sunday, also
disclosed that two of its fighters died in the exchange
of fire with security agents. The crossfire lasted for
40 minutes.
It said it intercepted and engaged government forces
in a fierce gun battle and killed the security agents in
the process.
According to the militant group's statement signed
by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said it
would remain resolute in its resumption of
hostilities. It also expressed the hope that Saturday's
clash would serve as a lesson to the Joint Task Force
and stop it from making 'careless' utterances.
The JTF however on Sunday said its operatives had
now been placed on the alert to forestall further
violence in the restive Niger Delta.
Curiously, the Police commissioner in Bayelsa,
Kingsley Omire, said the killing of his men had
nothing to do with MEND's threat of last week and
said that he believed that the 12 policemen were still
missing and their whereabouts was still a subject of
intense search.
Omire blamed the fate of the policemen on a dispute
between the gunmen and the government over their
amnesty payments. The Federal Government has
been paying all militants that laid down their arms
under its amnesty programme commenced since
2010.
The MEND's statement on Sunday reads, "For
dismissing Hurricane Exodus as an 'empty threat'
heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta, at about 17:00 Hrs.,
Saturday 06, April 2013, intercepted and engaged
government security forces in a fierce gunfight
lasting over 40 minutes at Azuzama, Southern Ijaw,
Bayelsa State, Nigeria.
"The clash which happened in the river left over 15
security forces dead as we also lost two (2) of our
fighters in the battle. We hope this encounter will
serve as a lesson to the Joint Task Force from making
careless utterances that cannot be backed as we
remain resolute in our resumption of hostilities."
The militant group advised oil firms and members of
the public to disregard the false sense of security
being peddled by the JTF even as it disowned one
Comrade Azizi who claimed to be its spokesman and
advised members of the public to ignore his (Azizi)
comments.
"All oil companies and the public are advised to
ignore the false sense of security been peddled by
the JTF as well as the false comments from a
"Comrade Azizi", who claims to be the spokesman
for the group.
"This person is not known to MEND, does not speak
for MEND and his utterances and style do not reflect
our plans and actions," it maintained.
The JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, in
a statement on Sunday said, "Our maritime and air
assets have also been mobilised and we have
intensified our patrols to dominate both land and
water ways to check any assailant. We will not
permit any lawlessness that will jeopardise the
peace in the region.
"We again call on all peace loving and progressive
Niger Deltans to dissociate themselves, their
communities and leadership from this gang of
retrogrades parading themselves as MEND."
Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson on Sunday
described the death of the 12 policemen as "tragic
and disheartening."
The governor, according to a statement by his Chief
Press Secretary, Daiel Markson, noted that the
killings were "a constant reminder of how
vulnerable we are in our collective efforts at
pursuing and achieving lasting peace and unity in
our state and country."
Meanwhile, youths in the oil producing region have
appealed to MEND to give peace a chance and shelve
their planned resumption of hostilities.
National Coordinator of the Niger Delta Youth
Parliament, Mr. Imoh Okoko, said in a telephone
interview with The PUNCH on Sunday that it was
imperative for MEND to sheathe its sword so as to
ensure that the Federal Government would not have
any excuse not to develop the region.
Okoko said, "We in the Niger Delta Youth Parliament
believe that things would only get worse for the
region if MEND carries out its threat of resuming
hostilities. Creating more crises is not the best for
Niger Delta now.
"We are appealing to MEND to exercise patience.
President Goodluck Jonathan and Okah are from the
same state. There is no need for MEND to strike so
that the government will not have any excuse for not
developing the Niger Delta."

Source: mobile.punchng.com/output.php?link=http://www.punchng.com/news/mend-claims-responsibility-for-killing-of-policemen/

mend de craze and kill de go. Bokoharam de bomb and kill de go. GEJ de confuse and clueless the more. Nigerians de look God face for help. I hope there is still a naija by 2015. God bless Nigeria

Why consider boko for amnesty why Henry oka is in detention

so bad,for Nigeria.

Ok Now lets see what Retardeen would do to his brothers who killed officers of the Federal Govt

Don't peaple know that this is a counter boko haram insurgent, they only use Henry is a cover up.

seunfly: Don't peaple know that this is a counter boko haram insurgent, they only use Henry is a cover up.

#Gbagannnnn#

I beg bros, you are permitted to write in your mothers dialect.

dayokanu: Ok Now lets see what Retardeen would do to his brothers who killed officers of the Federal Govt

Exactly
Seeing events like this trigged Odi's invasion under OBJ which Ebele said was ill thought
Let the wisdom of Ebele now light the lamp of darkness in a post amnesty ND

bcomputer101:

#Gbagannnnn#

I beg bros, you are permitted to write in your [size=16pt]mothers dialect.[/size]

TU QUOQUE!

The action of the children in the home will only be determined by how the father's attitude is.
A father with a strict action that disciplines his children when they go wrong with love ends up having a children that have the fear of the father. Whereas, a father having to pacify the rebellious child at the expense of the other children will end up having rebellious children with grudges.

bcomputer101:

#Gbagannnnn#

I beg bros, you are permitted to write in your mothers dialect.

lwkmd yes ooo, make he write for him mama language, before he go kill PEAPLE. Lol

Now that Mend has claimed responsible,wats the different between BH and mend?Are not the same terrorist group?