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N/Delta Militia Declare Ceasefire

Daily Trust (Abuja)
NEWS
January 30, 2006
Posted to the web January 30, 2006

By Ikenna Emeka Okpani

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), who are
responsible for the kidnap of four oil workers being held hostages in an
undisclosed location, has warned the federal government against attempts to use
force to secure the release of the men even as it has declared what it called,
a unilateral ceasefire to allow for meaningful negotiations between the federal
government and the organisation.
In a statement signed by one General Brutus who claims to be the leader of the
group, they warned that any attempt to use force to secure the release of the
hostages will lead to a full scale attack that the government would find
difficult to contain, it said.
That its decision to allow for negotiations before continuing its agenda was in
response to an Ijaw man in the presidency who has been in contact with them and
who is used to helping the Ijaw cause.
The statement, however, warned that the declaration of a ceasefire should not
be seen as a sign of weakness, as the organisation only did so to give time for
genuine negotiations between it and the federal government.
The group also made fresh demands which includes, the immediate withdrawal of
all troops in the Ijaw nation and the recruitment of Niger
Delta youths to provide security for all oil installations in the region as
away of providing employment for the youths. The group also asked for the
release of Asari Dokubo and other detained Ijaw leaders.
Another demand being made by the group is that Niger Delta indigenes should be
given contracts to lift oil as over 95 percent of those presently lifting oil
are not from the region. The group also wants the federal government to use the
excess crude oil money for projects in the region even as it asked the federal
government to commence the immediate building of infrastructure in the region.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in parts of Port Harcourt following a
second attack by armed robbers who carted away a total of 40 million naira from
Daewoo, a Korean oil servicing company.
The armed robbers were said to have attacked disguised as internal security of
the organisation only to overpower the real security men. The money was said to
be meant for the January salaries of the workers. The accountant has been
arrested for alleged complicity in the matter. He was said to have withdrawn
such a huge amount without police cover more so when it was to be kept over the
weekend.

   

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