5 Questions Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and DSS Must Answer to Backup their Claims

 

 During President Buhari's first Media Chat we observed the limit he was willing to go just to make sure Nnamdi Kanu never regained his freedom. Buhari vowed and promised to make sure Nnamdi Kanu would never be released and won't jump bail. He further stated that his adminstration was ready to go to any length to keep Nigeria as one, even if it meant spilling more blood for the unity of the country. Well, Buhari has indeed kept to his words by spilling blood and also refusing to release Nnamdi Kanu. Over 5000 Biafrans have been killed in cold blood by the Nigeria Armed forces, while Nnamdi Kanu the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, who was arrested by the Department Of States Services (DSS) on the 14th of October, 2015 still remains in custody. Many can recall that series of falsified accusations has been levied against Nnamdi Kanu just to make sure he remains locked up.

Its been almost two (2)years now and Nnamdi Kanu's case have been dragging on intentionally by the Nigeria Government and her Judiciary. The Nigeria Judiciary no longer have a say whatsoever in the case of Nnamdi Kanu, they now answer to President Buhari instead of upholding the law. The Nigerian DSS are behind lots of hidden plots and misguided calms just to make sure they implicate Nnamdi Kanu in the process, and possibly jail him for life as a result of their alternations. DSS keep coming up with exaggerated facts, while pointing to Nnamdi Kanu as the offender and a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria.

Just recently, DSS decided to promote more fabrications by trying to link, MEND with IPOB and also making it look as if Nnamdi Kanu was ready to negotiate with the Nigeria Government and was in the process of denouncing Biafra. This disinformation was published and carried out by the Nigeria Media House "VANGUARD NEWS". 

Vanguard came out by publishing this on their website: "I'm Ready For Negotiations and to put an End to Biafra"-Nnamdi Kanu. After that, they brought up another misrepresented News by reporting this- "MEND says Nnamdi Kanu accepted to renounce Biafra in secret".

The so-called Spokesperson of MEND, Jomo Gbomo in a statement to Vanguard said this- “The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu,” “MEND hereby uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the group’s ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Nnamdi Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce “Biafra” in secret; in exchange for his freedom.

Lets take note that, Movement Of the Emancipation of Niger Delta(MEND), started their operations in 2004 but declared a ceasefire on May 30, 2014. When MEND started their operations they claimed to be fighting against the oppression and devastation of the people of Niger Delta because by the exploration oil by public-private partnerships between the federal government of Nigeria and corporations involved in the production of oil in Nigeria Delta. But many knew that the true purpose of MEND was not for the safe keeping of the people of Niger Delta, but only to bring themselves to the spotlight and also get their own percentage of the oil wealth in the region.

Even before now, MEND has been highlighted and set aside as a political organisation that wants a greater share of Niger Delta oil revenues to empower them themselves, employers and also political associates. BBC conducted an interview with one of the group's leaders, with the tag Major-General Godswill Tamuno, BBC reported that MEND was fighting for "total control" of the Niger Delta's oil wealth, saying local people had not gained from the riches under the ground and the region's creeks and swamps." MEND continue to claim that they are fighting for Niger Delta only for them to go behind closed doors and keep collecting billions of Dollars in bribe from the Nigeria Government only to end up hindering progress in the region. If truly MEND are really after improvement and equality for the people of Niger Delta, why are they against Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and making sure they do everything possible to fight NDA? Isn't it clear that MEND is just a group of political driven individuals who are not interested in freedom fighting but after building up their own net worth, while they leave the people of Niger Delta in hardened poverty.

Since the emergency of MEND in 2004, they have been enriching themselves from one Administration of government to another. That's why, when Niger Delta Avengers come to be, MEND became scared and humiliated, because they were aware of the implications it would cause to them. They knew that NDA were genuine Freedom Fighters who were really after the liberation of the People of Niger Delta. MEND saw NDA as a threat to their money driven quest. MEND believed that as long as NDA continue to fight against the Nigeria Government they would no longer have Shares in the oil wealth distribution going on in the region. That's why they saw NDA as a hindrance. Looking back since MEND came to be what have they really achieved? How have they impacted the people of Niger Delta? They claim to stand and fight for the greatness of Niger Delta instead they are the very ones who stand as the problems occurring in the region. Flashback to when Buhari called for dialogue within the region, how many groups were in the front line of the dialogue? MEND were still the same group fighting so hard for peace and Dialogue.

Even the Ultimate Warriors, a group of Niger Delta agitators, rejected the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta’s(MEND) insistence on leading a negotiations with the federal government.

Describing the once-dreaded MEND as mere jobbers, it maintained that the only agenda on the ex-militant group’s programme was to ensure the release of the Okah brothers currently in jail, both in Nigeria and South Africa. A statement released on behalf of the group by its spokesman, Sibiri Taiowoh, argued that having earlier rejected the amnesty programme, the brothers should not benefit from it.

“Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the defunct MEND that is now an internet-based group of jobbers.

“We want to let the public know that the MEND that we know under which the likes of Tompolo, Boyloaf and other ex-warlords operated has since been disbanded by the group of ex-agitators who were registered under the Amnesty Programme.

“The current MEND and its so-called Aaron Team 2 is a concoction of the Okah brothers and family”, the group alleged. It added, “The sole aim of this so-called MEND and the flaunted Aaron Team is to get Henry Okah and Charles Okah pardon under the Presidential Amnesty Programme".

Let me state for the records that the criminal called Jomo Gbomo is the same Charles Okah who is currently been hold in Kuje, Abuja. Charles Okah A.K.A Jomo Gbomo, out of desperation to secure his freedom, have shamefully handed over MEND promulgated Agendas to the DSS after series of late night meetings. President Buhari has been under massive pressure from International Communities and world leaders to release Nnamdi Kanu, but in other to give handout excuses and reasons why Nnamdi Kanu shouldn't be released, he decided to formulate more nonsensical accusations, while DSS are coming up with more negative angles to implicate Nnamdi Kanu. But there are few questions that needs to be addressed. These are questions both DSS and MEND must answer.

1. Where, when and how did IPOB agree to renounce Biafra?

2. MEND should name 5 ways they have improved Niger Delta since 2004?

3. Over 70 billion Dollars have been invested into MEND, how much of that money have gone into the development of Niger Delta Regions?

4. MEND should explain to the people of Niger Delta and then world, why they are soon keen on stopping and going after Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), when it’s so clear that NDA are the only major group of freedom fighters who have really stood their ground against the Federal government of Nigeria?

5. Since different sets of accusations have been brought up against Nnamdi Kanu, by both MEND and DSS saying that Nnamdi Kanu said this and that, he denounced Biafra, he wants Negations, he can't carry on any longer, he wants to quit Biafra for his freedom,,,,and so on and so forth. Why can't DSS allow Nnamdi Kanu to publicly address the world on the alleged matter that keeps raising?