MEND declares war
By CHRISTY ANYANWU
Monday, September 15, 2008

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has declared an “oil war” in response to attacks the Joint military Task Force (JTF) launched against militants at the weekend.

The militant group in a press statement issued on Sunday said it had launched an operation code-named Hurricane Barbarossa, warning oil companies and foreign expatriates to move out of the region to avoid being caught in the war.

But the JTF has dismissed the MEND threat with a wave of hand, warning the group to desist from causing instability in the Niger Delta, as the Nigerian military would not abdicate its responsibility and allow the region to be held to ransom.

The MEND statement reads in parts: “Following a previous warning that any attack on our positions will be tantamount to a declaration of an oil war, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has declared an oil war in response to the unprovoked aerial and marine attacks on a MEND position in Rivers State of Nigeria on September 13, 2008 by the armed forces of Nigeria.

“About 0100 Hrs, today, September 14, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa commenced with heavily armed fighters in hundreds of war boats filing out from different MEND bases across the Niger Delta in solidarity to carry out destructive and deadly attacks on the oil industry in Rivers state.

“By dawn, destroyed oil flow stations, gunboats, burst pipelines, dead and injured soldiers trailed in the aftermath of the “hurricane.” Some specific locations include the Soku Gas Plant, Chevron Platform at Kula, over 22 well armed soldiers sent as reinforcement were intercepted, killed and dispossessed of their weapons, a major crude trunk pipeline at Nembe creek was blown up at several points.

“The operation will continue until the government of Nigeria appreciates that the solution to peace in the Niger Delta is justice, respect and dialogue. This military style bullying belongs to the past 50 years when the Niger Delta people responded only with their mouths, pens and placards.

“All international oil and gas loading vessels entering the region are warned to drop anchor in the high sea or divert elsewhere until further notice. Failure to comply is taking a foolhardy risk of attack and destruction of the vessel.
“Again, we are asking that oil companies evacuate their staff from their field facilities because the brief is not to capture hostages but to bring these structures to the ground”.

The group has also disclosed that the 27 oil workers it rescued from pirates who kidnapped them from the MT Blue Ocean were trapped in the camp they were kept as a fallout of the fight with the JTF.
It said among the trapped oil workers are five expatriates from Britain, South Africa and Ukraine, while the remaining 22 are Nigerians.
MEND appealed that the Red Cross or humanitarian workers such as the Doctors without borders be allowed passage to see the trapped oil workers as some of them were wounded as a result of the military attack.

The JTF told Niger Deltans to go about their normal business as the MEND and other militant groups did not pose any threat in the region.
Lt. Col Chris Musa the commander of the JTF said the MEND could not match the force of the military located in various areas of the Niger Delta.
He said all his men were on red alert and would crush any MEND threat, adding that threat by MEND that it was attacking soldiers or would attack soldiers was an end signal of a group that had lost relevance.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has been urged to probe the alleged invasion of Elem Tombia and two other communities in Rivers State by soldiers at the weekend in which no fewer than 15 persons including women and children were feared dead.
The JTF had alleged an unprovoked attack on its men on routine patrol by suspected militants for which the soldiers launched a counter attack. Making the probe call in a statement he issued on Sunday in Port Harcourt, the Member of the House of Representatives who represents the area, Dr. Sokonte Davies, accused the soldiers of attempting to create, “another Odi, Odiama and Umuechem” in the riverine community.

In his assessment of the incident that occurred 48 hours after two persons kidnapped in Port Harcourt were rescued in the community with the help of the natives, the action of the soldiers were akin to declaring “war against a peaceful people.” He saw the official explanation by the JTF as, “a blatant lie to cover wickedness” and demanded that those behind it should be punished and the victims rehabilitated.
“The Nigerian Armed Forces have stirred the hornets’ nest. The people of Tombia demand an immediate investigation of this action and bring the perpetrators to book since, if the spokesman for the JTF should be believed, this is an illegal action.

“They should also take immediate measures to rebuild the communities and make emergency arrangements to compensate all those who have suffered loss.”
Dr Davies talked about, “a high number of casualties, especially women and children and several persons missing,” while faulting the military action as ill-advised.

“We belief (sic) that if this a strategy to solve the Niger Delta problem, it was ill-advised. We hope that the Federal Government will show the necessary will to handle this matter adequately.”
Meanwhile, the JTF has hinted of a reprisal attack by militants following las Saturday’s incident.
The spokesman of the military outfit, Lt. Col. Musa, said in another interview that, “as anticipated, the bandits staged a flamboyant attack” between 3 am and 4 am at Soku oil facilities and Robertkiri community,
The JTF commander stated that the soldiers guarding the facilities put up, “active resistance” and “successfully repelled the attack with casualties on the miscreants’ side.” According to him, a soldier was wounded in the latest attack.


Source: www.sunnewsonline.com


we have a delicate situation here we have to handle. these guys are threatening hell and brimstone even after they have succeeded in sending all the (so called) expatriates away.

Please,  pray for this country (even if you are an animist)

Though Sun newspaper may be lying as usual. 

Nigerians and their desperate need to make a name and place for themselves in world politics. Nah wah oo!! World war 3 cha? ROFLMAO!!!

They should start with Civil war First. This must be an expensive joke . Who and who are going to participate in this 'World War III'

c33b33:

world war indeed!enough is enough!let them do their worst,they should blame their fore fathers who opted to fight for Nigeria instead of Biafra,or those who were conniving with government to sihon their oil wealth!tsk!

If they've supported Biafra then, maybe you would have given them the go-ahead with this world war

This is all we need, more fucking fighting. This country isn't going to get anywhere with stupid shit like this.

these MEND guys are as fake as it gets, hurricane barbarossa was obviously a name stolen from operation barbarossa.

bawomolo:

these MEND guys are as fake as it gets,  hurricane barbarossa was obviously a name stolen from operation barbarossa.   

The name may sound corny but I doubt if we would still find it corny when they start littering the whole places with corpses.


According to thier claims, they can handle anything the Nigerian army throws thier way

bawomolo:

these MEND guys are as fake as it gets, hurricane barbarossa was obviously a name stolen from operation barbarossa.

Leave the name aside, Lets face the real issue.
If you think this so-called JFK can handle them, Then you are joking.

I can't wait until our Army bomb their dumb asses. They can't handle a the NATIONAL MILITARY OF NIGERIA. A militant group can't compare with the OFFICIAL MILITARY OF A SOVEREIGN NATION, unless you're the Taliban or something, which MEND is not.

The Sly:

Leave the name aside, Lets face the real issue.
If you think this so-called JFK can handle them, Then you are joking.

the only reason stopping the JTF from handling them is the human right's outcry that would come out from a full offensive. this is just a small scale version of the israeli-hezbollah conflict. the biggest vulnerability of the nigerian army is lack of an effective navy. outside of the creeks that give these thugs cover, they are no match to the nigerian army.

once heavy harware come to play, mend rocket prop grenades would become useless, if the military decides to use napalm bombs or some other incendiary device on those swamps mend will quit this batle and run to town.

idupaul:

once heavy harware come to play, mend rocket prop grenades would become useless, if the military decides to use napalm bombs or some other incendiary device on those swamps mend will quit this batle and run to town.

thank u, hurricane babarossa ko, afefe babarossa ni .

bawomolo:

the only reason stopping the JTF from handling them is the human right's outcry that would come out from a full offensive. this is just a small scale version of the israeli-hezbollah conflict. the biggest vulnerability of the nigerian army is lack of an effective navy. outside of the creeks that give these thugs cover, they are no match to the nigerian army.

Yes! The reason why they couldnt go to abuja when they ordered Julius B. to stop working there.

idupaul:

the only reason stopping the JTF from handling them is the human right's outcry that would come out from a full offensive.

Yes which is why i said they can't handle them because the government will never unleash a full offensive on them, At least not anytime soon.
MEND is politically motivated, They have people in the higher level that would stop the government from unleashing full offensive.

idupaul:

once heavy harware come to play, mend rocket prop grenades would become useless, if the military decides to use napalm bombs or some other incendiary device on those swamps mend will quit this batle and run to town.

True but this cant happen now.
Lots of civilian lives are at a high risk.

MEND Says Its Commando Unit Razed Shell Facility To Ground

Last View on Mon 15th September, 2008
Last Modified on Mon 15th September, 2008 6:05:23 am


By Jomo Gbomo
At 0200 Hrs today, September 15, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa continued  its destructive sweep through Rivers state of Nigeria when the eye of the storm struck a direct hit at the expansive Alakiri flow station complex operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company.The facility was still burning when we left.

Heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stormed the facility and have razed it to the ground as promised. The foolhardy workers and soldiers who did not heed our warning perished inside the station.

Resistance was non existent as the soldiers fled their dug-in positions leaving behind their colleagues and the workers inside the facility to their fate.

A word is enough for the wise. MEND reiterates its previous warnings to ALL oil workers in the entire Niger Delta region to evacuate from oil facilities and halt production with immediate effect or they will have themselves to blame.

We call on the wives of soldiers to convince their husbands to abandon this duty of injustice to avoid becoming widows. Families of oil workers should offer the same advice.

International vessels should not come in to load crude oil. Owners of such vessels should be warned that the vessels will suffer the same fate of the Alakiri flow station. Hostages will not be taken. Do not be deceived. The Nigerian military can not protect you.


http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=720

These guys are for real oo

Damn, the MEND isn't playing around this time

.

canalarge:

MEND Says Its Commando Unit Razed Shell Facility To Ground

Last View on Mon 15th September, 2008
Last Modified on Mon 15th September, 2008 6:05:23 am


By Jomo Gbomo
At 0200 Hrs today, September 15, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa continued  its destructive sweep through Rivers state of Nigeria when the eye of the storm struck a direct hit at the expansive Alakiri flow station complex operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company.The facility was still burning when we left.

Heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stormed the facility and have razed it to the ground as promised. The foolhardy workers and soldiers who did not heed our warning perished inside the station.

Resistance was non existent as the soldiers fled their dug-in positions leaving behind their colleagues and the workers inside the facility to their fate.

A word is enough for the wise. MEND reiterates its previous warnings to ALL oil workers in the entire Niger Delta region to evacuate from oil facilities and halt production with immediate effect or they will have themselves to blame.

We call on the wives of soldiers to convince their husbands to abandon this duty of injustice to avoid becoming widows. Families of oil workers should offer the same advice.

International vessels should not come in to load crude oil. Owners of such vessels should be warned that the vessels will suffer the same fate of the Alakiri flow station. Hostages will not be taken. Do not be deceived. The Nigerian military can not protect you.


http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=720

These guys are for real oo

Oh ma gawd!!!. . . . both sides need to chill now. Rest assured, the West will retaliate.

This is an obvious reaction the the new Niger Delta ministry. What did Yar'Adua expect, trying to dribble the people like Maradona?

MEND never said they would start World War III. They said they will start an oil war.

canalarge:

MEND Says Its Commando Unit Razed Shell Facility To Ground

Last View on Mon 15th September, 2008
Last Modified on Mon 15th September, 2008 6:05:23 am


By Jomo Gbomo
At 0200 Hrs today, September 15, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa continued its destructive sweep through Rivers state of Nigeria when the eye of the storm struck a direct hit at the expansive Alakiri flow station complex operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company.The facility was still burning when we left.

Heavily armed fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stormed the facility and have razed it to the ground as promised. The foolhardy workers and soldiers who did not heed our warning perished inside the station.

Resistance was non existent as the soldiers fled their dug-in positions leaving behind their colleagues and the workers inside the facility to their fate.

A word is enough for the wise. MEND reiterates its previous warnings to ALL oil workers in the entire Niger Delta region to evacuate from oil facilities and halt production with immediate effect or they will have themselves to blame.

We call on the wives of soldiers to convince their husbands to abandon this duty of injustice to avoid becoming widows. Families of oil workers should offer the same advice.

International vessels should not come in to load crude oil. Owners of such vessels should be warned that the vessels will suffer the same fate of the Alakiri flow station. Hostages will not be taken. Do not be deceived. The Nigerian military can not protect you.


http://saharareporters.com/www/news/detail/?id=720

These guys are for real oo

You don't know?
Do not underestimate the Em Hee En Dee!

True but this can't happen now.
Lots of civilian lives are at a high risk.

intel reports gathers that even though most of mend fighters spend peaceful days in known riverine villages , all it attack and prparation  4 such attacks is always carried out  from remote swamp location far from the prying eyes of villager and fishermen, these location are wher they berth their PT assault and landing crafts, these location are also used to house their poorly maintaind amouries where caches of 7.62 mm assault rifle and general purpose machine gun rounds are stashed alongside rocket propelled grenade payloads. For swamp skimishes like this where the military cant really get any close combat heavy hard ware to for logistic reasons one option is left open and that is the use of remotely deployed precision munitions either from aircrft, land based artilery batteries or large guns from ships, and if the payload of these munition are fitted with incendiary expolosive like napalm( which is a gasoline and oil based bomb designed to cause never ending fires or magnesia based (fogotten smaples of this) , mend could be in for the shock of their lives. what we have seen so far are just light arm skirmishes btw a task force and a poorly trained wealthy militant organization, gentle men when the chips are down and slitely bigger arms come to the fore alongside better offensive tact and training , the army will surely be the victors.

We call on the wives of soldiers to convince their husbands to abandon this duty of injustice to avoid becoming widows. Families of oil workers should offer the same advice.

am really impressed on the tactical leadership of mend's battle think tanks, we can see hw they are skifully applying a nice psychological edge on the nigerian military by calling on their wives to warn their hasband: this is an A stretegy for mend knowing that with soldier all having GSM phones in theier pockets, sacrred family member will make call to their husbands and word therefore putting fear in the mind of these soldier. I expect jtf commander to immediately banish the use of mobile phones by its men in the front till the end of the present skirmish.

lol. . . . Idupaul done turn to military strategist. . . . as a Nigerian soldier once told me, Nigerian soldiers are not prepared to lose their lives in the Niger Delta, whilst MEND are. . . . the only section of the Nigerian army that could carry out the job properly are soldiers from the Northern axis. . . . cos sure as hell, Igbo and Yoruba soldiers are not ready to lose their lives for no Nigerian army.

The MEND issue is becoming a real source of concern but this Govt's attitude is even more disturbing than MEND's militancy.

NDDC has been around for over sometime and suddenly those clowns come up with the Ministry of Niger Delta. How is that different from the NDDC?   They now want the Ministry to come up recommendation and draw some sort of plan to solve the Niger Delta issue. How is that different from what NDDC has been doing?

As if that is not enuff,  40 man technical committee was also set up to look into the issue    What is up with Nigeria and all these redundant committee  

Can someone tell these guys that the issue is not formulation but rather implementation?

.

tpia:

Neither side is prepared to sacrifice themselves for this fight. MEND militants are waging war with covered faces to avoid identification. What should that tell all and sundry? Besides, you're going by the word of ONE Nigerian soldier?

MEND are heavily outgunned and heavily outnumbered. . . . if anyone is prepared to lose their lives, it is them cos only a diehard can fight a losing battle. . . Bonga oilfield was a really risky manouvre. . . .the only people who can carry out that mission are diehards. 

.

MEND is sabre rattling, thinking this will make the government panic and call off its offensive.

The truth is, they are feeling the heat from the recent co-ordinated land-sea-air attacks mounted by the JTF on their targets. The military should press on and not relent - these types of cries will always be heard when the opposition is losing ground.

Take the news 'reports' from Jomo Gbomo and Sahara with a pinch of salt - they are as prone to exaggeration as the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka.

Nigeria cannot allow a rebel force like MEND dictate to it - there will be losses alright, but the military MUST press on with its offensive. Negotiations will be needed later, but not till whatever military strength MEND has is neutralized or exhausted to a considerable extent.

I await verification by independent media before giving any credence to a MEND report stating they killed 22 soldiers in one attack only.

Ibime:

lol. . . . Idupaul done turn to military strategist. . . . as a Nigerian soldier once told me, Nigerian soldiers are not prepared to lose their lives in the Niger Delta, whilst MEND are. . . . the only section of the Nigerian army that could carry out the job properly are soldiers from the Northern axis. . . . because sure as hell, Igbo and Yoruba soldiers are not ready to lose their lives for no Nigerian army.

what idupaul said is obvious, the creeks of NIGER DELTA is a natural defense barrier to the nigerian army. same for the viet-cong in vietnam. niger delta people lucky say UN don ban all them chemical weapons . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agent_Orange

the nigerian army should keep on patroling the rivers and blowing up these bastards. mr ibime, why do these freedom fighters only attack oil installation and police stations. are they some scared punks . mr jomo gbomo gbomo needs to shut his trap

The main issue here is the determination of the government to follow through. Compared to MEND, the military has near-limitless supply of troops and weapons. If it comes to a situation of who has more bullets, the militants are sure to lose.

Granted the government doesn't want to be seen to be declaring open war on its own citizens, the MEND boys are pushing things far - the JTF has said it will pursue them to the creeks and have come out to dismiss the accounts of MEND as untrue - how would you determine that you killed 22 soldiers in an attack between 1 and 2am? Did you have divers who went to recover the bodies or was it daylight that you counted so accurately?

MEND is simply oiling its press propaganda machine, they have always been better at scaring the world than the JTF was, but that matters little - MEND will be severely diminished if they continue this for long. I expect them to declare a ceasefire soon, claiming that they are doing it for the 'greater good' when the heat gets too hot on them.

Here is a more balanced account from a more credible news source[i]

JTF, MEND disagree over attack on Chevron's facility
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt

THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday attacked a Chevron platform at Soku and Kula in Rivers State in retaliation for the aerial and marine hits on its bases around Elom-Tombia on Saturday by the military.

Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesperson in Rivers State, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, admitted that there was an attack at Soku yesterday but stated that the soldiers repelled it before the militants could wreak damage on the Chevron facility.

And following the renewed hostility, the Ijaw National Congress (INC) has called on the Federal Government to disband the JTF while urging the militants to refrain from further attacks in order not to exacerbate the precarious security.

MEND's action yesterday came barely 24 hours after it warned oil companies operating in the Niger Delta to evacuate their workers or risk them being hurt in the renewed fighting with the JTF which it accused of carrying out unprovoked aerial attacks on its bases around Elom-Tombia.

The militants' spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said following a previous warning that any attack on MEND's positions would be tantamount to a declaration of an oil war, the group decided to launch the two attacks yesterday.

Gbomo said: "About 0100 Hrs today, September 14, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa commenced with heavily armed fighters in hundreds of war boats filing out from different MEND bases across the Niger Delta in solidarity to carry out destructive and deadly attacks on the oil industry in Rivers State."

He explained that by dawn, its fighters "destroyed oil flow stations, gun-boats, burst pipelines, dead and injured soldiers trailed in the aftermath of the "hurricane". Some specific locations include the Soku Gas Plant, Chevron Platform at Kula, over 22 well armed soldiers sent as reinforcement were intercepted, killed and dispossessed of their weapons and a major crude trunk pipeline at Nembe creek was blown up at several points."

He stated that the operation would continue until the government of Nigeria appreciated that the solution to peace in the Niger Delta was the pursuit of justice, respect and dialogue. According to him, this military style bullying belongs to the past 50 years when the Niger Delta people responded only with their mouths, pens and placards.

But Musa explained that as a result of the Saturday hit on MEND's bases in Rivers State, the militants staged what he described as 'flamboyant' attack at Soku and Robortkiri where they met active resistance from the military guarding the facilities.

"It was heroically and successfully repelled with casualty on the miscreants' side. A soldier was, however, injured and no death recorded. This message is necessary to pre-empt and avoid mischievous propaganda from the militants," he said.

MEND later yesterday claimed that the military first repelled its fighters but some fighters from Bayelsa intervened and killed several soldiers. This claim has been described as untrue by Musa.

The spokesperson of Chevron, Mr. Femi Odumabo, confirmed the attack which, he said, occurred on the vicinity of the company's platform, adding that no member of staff was killed.

The INC president, Prof. Kimse Okoko, said the organisation was highly disturbed by the JTF's activities and reiterated the call for it to be disbanded as it has not helped to restore the much-desired peace in the Niger Delta.

He said the attack was counter-productive particularly at a time when the people of the region were beginning to assume that there was a change of heart on the part of the Federal Government to tackle the Niger Delta question.

Okoko described the JTF as an occupation force that was of no use to the Niger Delta and urged the militants to avoid any escalation of the conflict.

Anglo-Dutch oil giant, Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), had at the weekend extended its force majeure on Nigerian Bonny Light crude oil exports.

The step, which frees the company from contractual obligations, was taken owing to security concerns in the oil-rich Niger Delta region after SPDC found more leaks on a Bonny Light crude pipeline, a Shell spokesman said.
[/i]


http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article02//indexn2_html?pdate=150908&ptitle=JTF,%20MEND%20disagree%20over%20attack%20on%20Chevron's%20facility

bawomolo:

mr ibime, why do these freedom fighters only attack oil installation and police stations. are they some scared punks?

Why do women kick mens' bollocks during a fight?  

How can small Ijaw boys fight Nigerian army if not for guerrilla tactics?

Instead of calling them punks, we should hail their bravery for taking on such a Herculean task.

These guys are really pushing it. Anyone who thinks that the Nigerian forces cannot win a battle with these guys should think again. Soldiers are trained to fight wars, these militants are some agitated youths coming together to form a fighting unit, their survival instincts are nowhere near the soldiers. I think sometimes Nigerians underestimate the Nigerian Army. These guys undergo comprehensive and rigorous training. When it comes down to it, I don't think that most of those militants are willing to lose their lives by going into a full scale war with the Nigerian forces, whereas for the army, they'll be doing their job. Don't forget the airforce can devastate the creeks with a few bombs as well. These militants shouldn't push it too far.

I hope it doesn't get out of hand. However, the cause of freedom fighting is not enough to justify the scale of attacks being proposed by MEND. The Nigerian military can be very efficient unlike the country itself, especially considering our track record in peace keeping missions around the world.

when and how?
who and where?

I sincerely hope these whole thing would not degenerate into a full fledge war. My fiance dey for Navy o.