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The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has accused the Joint Task Force of endangering the prevailing ceasefire in the region.

The group in a statement yesterday claimed that “the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday, November 17, 2009 at 0600 hrs invaded the Kula community in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, ostensibly to search for hidden weapons.” According to the statement signed by the group’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, it said what the JTF men “specifically targeted, was the home of a former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) commander, Christian Don Pedro which was extensively destroyed.” MEND claimed that the JTF assault on the Kula community was unsuccessful as it “yielded nothing.”


Breach of peace

This alleged attack is coming in the midst of negotiations towards a comprehensive resolution of the unrest in the region as the group’s leader, Henry Okah and the Aaron team (a group appointed by MEND to hold negotiations with the Federal Government on its behalf) met President Umaru Yar’Adua at a closed doors meeting on Saturday in Abuja.

According to the statement: “MEND considers such harassment and intimidation of ex-fighters and innocent communities an act of bad faith and a breach of the trust these ex-fighters placed in the Nigerian government with their voluntary surrender.” The group urged the government to investigate this infringement and call to order its “trigger-happy minister for defence.” Threatening a resumption of hostilities if such assault occurs again, MEND concluded that it “will not tolerate the continued harassment of communities by the Nigerian military and will take appropriate retaliatory actions the next time any community within the Niger Delta is attacked by the Nigerian military.” The group had declared an indefinite ceasefire on October 25, following the Federal Government’s expression of readiness to engage in serious negotiations with every group or individual in the Niger Delta towards achieving a lasting peace. This was preceded by the proclamation of amnesty for all the militants by the president and the release of the detained MEND leader, Henry Okah.

Just a search operation

However, the JTF Commander, Sarkin Bello, speaking to NEXT from his new base in Bayelsa denied the allegation of renewed attacks. “What happened was that, in the early hours of the morning, around 3 and 4 am there was a lot of shooting in the area and there are troops on ground in the area. I directed my men to go to the community and search for what led to the shooting. And that was all they did.” He added, “They conducted searches and nobody was attacked, arrested, injured or killed.” General Bello expressing a great deal of attachment to the Kula community that was allegedly attacked stated that “Kula is a place that I know very well. In November 2007, Kula and Adiffe communities, (a neighbouring community) were fighting each other in communal clashes and we (JTF) interjected to save lives.

“Communal clashes are one of the most common things here in the Niger-Delta where communities go against one other and people kill one other. So as the sporadic shooting occurred again, this morning we had to intervene because that is what we are here for. JTF is here and we have a responsibility to curtail such occurrences and ensure the safety of lives and properties of people,” he added.

“What we are doing is for the good of the people and we are still getting to root of the shooting,” he responded when questioned about the success of the ‘search’ operation.” In a very high tone voice, General Bello exclaimed that nobody was killed or attacked in the operation early this morning.” This reported shooting is coming after the president declared unconditional amnesty for the Niger-Delta militants in August 2009.

The amnesty has been embraced by most of the militant groups, including a number of MEND’s leaders. About 17,000 of the militants turned in their arms and ammunition to the Nigerian Army and are currently undergoing rehabilitation in camps across the region