monkeyleg:

sorry oh, but these sound like made up names.

By the way I getting very confused about this whole thing. Did GJ not say at sometime that Mend were responsible, now it is a group based abroad, not quite sure what we should believe. But make we dey look

monkeyleg:

sorry oh, but these sound like made up names.

By the way I getting very confused about this whole thing. Did GJ not say at sometime that Mend were responsible, now it is a group based abroad, not quite sure what we should believe. But make we dey look

I have always said a Nigeria will rule the world/.

Mobinga:

Chima Orlu and Ben jessy I am not surprised after all Michael Jackson and Eminem voted in the last elections

toba:

hahahaha lolrmof

netotse:

ehen o. . .

people have been complaining that GEJ didn't name ppl when he said it wasn't MEND but now that the govt has released names, people are turning around to complain. . .

chyz:

The bombing just happened 2 days ago. He said he already knew who they were the next day. Hows that possible? And now they happen to give non-ijaw(MEND) and non-northern(boko haram) but and Igbo and fake english name.Wow! GEJ better have the media tailored because it is going to be the cause of him losing SE votes and also othe southern votes as well.

one mopol:

Are you not being ST. U.PID for making a statement like this? You guys can go to hell with your useless SE votes which is fast turning a blackmail tool.

Your warrior Ikemba already promised the evil genius igbo votes anyway.

Dis Guy:

if they are from 'abroad' surely the government will show us their picture so we know not to approach them at least they will be on a national database somewhere- electoral list, student i.d card, previous criminal record, airport tickets??

South African Police Raid Home Of Exiled MEND Leader, Henry Okah
Posted: September 30, 2010 - 21:19

By SaharaReporters, New york


The South African police invaded the Johannesburg home of Henry Okah, the leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) early today, apparently acting on the request of the Nigerian authorities who claimed that Mr. Okah was stockpiling weapons and re-arming fighters in the volatile Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

About 40 plainclothes police burst into the hilltop home of Mr. Okah at  3:00 AM in the morning. They destroyed the heavy gates leading to the main house and used heavy equipments to destroy the main door leading to his living quarters and guest house.


Henry Okah

The policemen, initially thought to be assassins, did not locate Mr. Okah for about 1 hour after arriving at his home where they were met by his wife and children. When he did appear they announced they would be searching every nook and cranny of his house to locate bombs and high caliber guns the Nigerian government told them were stockpiled there.

The policemen spent 10 hours searching his home but failed to find any weapons. Instead, they carried away laptops and phones belonging to his wife, daughter and himself.

Mr. Okah remains free but is uncertain if police will return for him.

In 2008, Mr. Okah, who had been living in South Africa, was arrested in Angola by the Angolan authorities acting at the request of the Nigerian government. He was deported to Nigeria where he was held in solitary confinement and secretly tried before a federal high court in Jos, charged with 62 counts of terrorism, illegal possession of weapons and treason amongst other capital crimes. But in 2009, the government entered into an amnesty deal with his group and several other Niger Delta militant groups and released him. Okah returned to live in South Africa except for a brief trip to Nigeria to attend a meeting with the late Nigerian leader, Umaru Yar'adua over the Amnesty process. The Amnesty program has failed to make much progress and peace in the Niger Delta region remains fragile.

http://www.saharareporters.com/news-page/south-african-police-raid-home-exiled-mend-leader-henry-okah

Beaf:

Any report by Sahara Reporters must be taken as a lie.
However, MEND has been rearming at a fearful rate. We need to pray.

Ibime:

@ Beaf, how do you know MEND is rearming at alarming rate?

Henry Okah is one dude I respect. He should knock heads with some enlightened chaps to ensure that the second coming of MEND does not descend into fractious internal feudalism. Infact, I don't think we have brave men of right morals to execute a true freedom fight as Henry Okah would want it.

Beaf:

They themselves have announced that they are rearming. You'll need an account to view the full article here;
http://www.africaintelligence.com/AEM/government-strategies/2010/09/29/weapons-build-up-in-delta%2C85584032-BRE-login

Beaf:

It was a sad loss of life.
It seems doubtless that the attack was carried out by the real MEND, because they have replied to emailed questions.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-10-01/nigerian-rebels-claim-abuja-blast-that-killed-eight.html

And for those who argue ortherwise, MEND is NOT classified as a terrorist group anywhere in the West. For example, they are simply classified as a group of interest by the US state dept.

MEND apologises for causing Abuja deaths

By Ayo Okulaja




The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has apologised for causing the death of many people in the explosions which rocked the Federal capital yesterday.

In an email sent to journalists a moment ago, Jomo Gbomo, the spokesperson of the group, said the group "deeply regrets the avoidable loss of lives during our bomb attack in Abuja on Friday October 1, 2010. Our hearts go to the families of those killed who we know were sympathetic to our cause". and those who aren't can go to hell

The group said the failure of security forces to heed a warning it had given five days before the attack is responsible for the deaths

"The irresponsible attitude of the government security forces is to blame for the loss of lives. They were given 5 days prior notice which led to the harassment of Henry Okah on Thursday, September 30 in South Africa."

It also claimed that an hour before the attack, security forces were reminded of the impending violence but failed to act. It said the email received by journalists a few minutes before the explosions was sent only after the one to security agents.

"The security forces were also warned one full hour to the first bomb blast ahead of the general alert sent to the media and told to steer the public from all parked cars which was not done."

The group's claim of responsibility for the attacks is coming hours after President Goodluck Jonathan said they were not responsible and blamed the explosions on terrorists.

Mr. Jonathan told an ECOWAS gathering in Abuja today that ``What happened yesterday was a terrorist act and MEND was just used as a straw; MEND is not a terrorist group".

"The Niger Delta people are aware of the government's noble efforts to assuage the suffering and deprivation in that region," the President said.

"I am from the Niger Delta, my father's house is few metres from an oil-well, so nobody can claim to be a Niger Deltan than myself.

"It is erroneous to think that my people who have been agitating for good living will deliberately blow up the opportunity they have now".

In a related development, Henry Okah, an alleged leader of the militant group, was arrested by South African police today and is being questioned.

On Thursday, Interpol forces raided Mr Okah's home in South Africa but no action was taken against him. It is not clear yet if he will be charged following his latest arrest.

However, the group has exonerated him of involvement in Friday's bombings that killed at least 12 people and injured tens of others. "Okah has never been involved in any MEND operations but has always been blamed for every attack which is strange to us," the group said.

Mobinga:

Chima Orlu and Ben jessy I am not surprised after all Michael Jackson and Eminem voted in the last elections

*Death*

Next, it'll be Belly dancer Chukwuma and Cosmos Chuka.

Federal police spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu in a statement named the two men as Ben Jessy and Chima Orlu. He offered no further details about the two Nigerian men, other than warning the public that harbouring them would be a criminal offence.