Niger Delta Militants Returning to Creeks—Group

Niger Delta Militants Returning to Creeks—Group

There are serious concerns in some quarters in the Niger Delta area, Nigeria's main oil and gas basin, over alleged re-grouping of some unrepentant insurgents in the creeks of the volatile oil region.

This is coming as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has threatened to bomb the Eagle Square, Abuja, on October 1. The insurgent group says the country has nothing to celebrate at 51.

A socio-political group, Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) that hinted AkanimoReports on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, of the gradual return of the militants to the creeks said one of the more endearing features of the Presidential Amnesty Programme has been the patience shown by all sides, with a process where the direction and end points are far from clear.

Spokesman of the group, Mr. Inemo Semiama, who made the position of the SDN known to our correspondent said, ''in some areas discipline of registered former militants seems to be holding, but in others there are already some unconfirmed warnings of frustrated small groups returning to the creeks. More explicitly there is clearly growing anger amongst youths who are not part of the formal amnesty process''.

According to the group, ''little has changed in the broader initiatives in the Niger Delta where development initiatives are too often failing to address the fundamentals in rural areas. Among the most serious issues is the failure to stimulate any significant youth employment or local economic development. This has given rise to fresh groups of disaffected youths actively considering taking up militancy in order to get the political attention that their predecessors secured''.

''The protests which occurred on the edge of Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on September 6th where the inter-state east west road was blocked by protesters are a small visible manifestation of this serious risk'', they added.

SDN said the significance of new youths entering into militancy is not to be understated, pointing out, ''weapons are already widely available and there is a strong risk that newcomers would face conflict with armed 'ex-militants' already allied with government.

''This is precisely the triangular conflict that swiftly evolved and worsened in Rivers State in 2004 with very little overt warning. For those in government and agencies who are used to the language of 'Early Warning Systems' and monitoring structures it is important to understand there is little in place of this nature in the Niger Delta. We sincerely hope that this brief will serve to put these early warnings of trouble on the record and that they will be acted upon.

''Strategically neglecting the situation in the Niger Delta would be a huge mistake for the Federal Government. It cannot afford an additional conflict while it is still stretched by the continuing clashes in northern states. Any conflict in the Delta would likely immediately threaten the oil production whose recovery is funding all of the governments other broadened interventions. The international community would do well to impress the need to deal with ongoing issues in the Niger Delta while there are the early signs of a growing problem rather than a fresh crisis''.

MEND has warned that they will detonate explosion on October 1, in the vicinity of the Eagles Square, venue of this year's 51st independent celebration.

The group in an online statement by their Spokesman Jomo Gbomo urged members of the public to take the statement as a final notice saying no additional warning will be issued.

According to Gbomo, ''on October 1, 2011, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) intends to place bombs within and in the immediate vicinity of Eagle Square, venue of the proposed 2011 Independence anniversary celebrations.

“After 51 years of independence, Nigerians still has nothing to celebrate. The general public is strongly advised to consider this as a first and final warning. No additional warnings will be issued subsequent to deployment or detonation of these devices which will be novel in nature.”

ENDS

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