Port Harcourt— The Movemdent for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, has warned that it will soon commence “a ferocious attack” on oil installations as well as petroleum, gas and other fuel storage facilities in the region.
In addition, the group said petrol tankers carrying such commodities would be targetted.
The group which advised people living around these facilities to vacate the areas, said its action was traceable to what it called the unacceptable punishment meted to certain unnamed persons withing its ranks.
MEND said it will not fold its hands and watch in the course of the “arrest and detention of our respected brothers.” A statement by its spokesman, accused government of wanting to eliminate members of the group.
“MEND will soon commence a ferocious attack on the downstream oil sector of the Nigerian oil industry.
“To avert avoidable loss of lives and property, advance warning for immediate evacuation is hereby issued to residents in close proximity to depots storing petroleum products such as aviation fuel, diesel, kerosene, petrol, propane gas and engine oil.
“We cannot guarantee the safety of staff who happen to be at the facility during an attack. We will also be targeting transport vehicles that convey petroleum products. Anyone who chooses to ignore this warning does so at his own peril.
“MEND has been following closely the activities of the Nigerian government in the handling of the arrest and detention of our respected brothers and will not sit back and fold our hands to see a government bent on eliminating them for no just course,” the statement added.
Yenagoa—The Joint Task Force, otherwise known Operation Restore Hope, has called on the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, to have a rethink over its plan to commence attack on the downstream oil sector of the nation oil industry.
JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Timothy Antigha, in a statement, said that MEND had no basis for the planned attack and urged corporate organisations involved in the downstream sector to increase surveillance of their infrastructure and fleets, vet their personnel properly, increase access control and report any suspicious person to the appropriate security agencies.
Further he said, “we have observed with concern the recent threat of attack on the downstream sector of the nation’s petroleum industry by the so-called MEND, and advises the terrorist organisation to have a re-think, as killing innocent people and destroying their means of livelihood, as they have done in the past, will not advance their negative, retrogressive and criminal disposition.
Rather, it will aggravate the lack of development of the Niger Delta region, which they claim to fight against.
“We wish to further state that its is preposterous and thoughtless for MEND to plan to destroy the lives and businesses of fellow Nigerians just because their “respected brothers were arrested and detained” for terrorism and mass murder in Abuja on Nigeria’s independence day. If MEND or whatever is left it has any iota of sanity, then it should wait for the law to run its course on its arrested members,” JTF added.
“At a time that the nation is making progress in its politics, it is rather unfortunate that some people should contemplate threatening peoples lives. In the light of this situation, the JTF wishes to advise corporate organisations involved in the downstream sector to increase surveillance of their infrastructure and fleets, vet their personnel properly, increase access control and report any suspicious person to the appropriate security agencies,” he added.
Additionally, by this threat, MEND has demonstrated clearly that it is not only the enemy of the Federal Government but also the enemy of all Nigerians. Consequently, the JTF advises civil society groups and the generality of Nigerians to join the JTF in condemning the evil that MEND represents.”
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