‘Boko Haram, MEND Is A Blessing’ – Security Expert

Mr. Dare Ogunlana, a security expert has said that the various insurgencies in northern Nigeria and Niger Delta have awakened the government to see the error of their ways; describing the Boko Haram and MEND groups as a ‘blessing.’

Mr. Ogunlana

Speaking on Sunrise,a programme on Channels TV. he said that President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to handle the situation of the Boko Haram insurgents differently because the country is now in the democratic dispensation.

However, he also blamed politicians who “wanted to seize power” for the making illegal weapons available to thugs; a problem for which Nigerians are now paying the price.

He described terrorism as a generational struggle stating that it will continue to exist as long as there is injustice, corruption and bad governance.

“I made a statement recently that even Boko Haram, MEND is a blessing. If not for the fact that we have Boko Haram and MEND, our government will not know that what they are doing (the stealing and everything underdevelopment), they will not know” they have to do it right. Mr. Ogunlana said.

He also said that “because of Boko Haram, you can see a lot of almajiri schools… a lot of things are going on” in the North.

He added that “because of MEND and Boko Haram, we have been able to identify that we don’t even have Police.”

Nigeria: Asari Dokubo warns against Religious uproar

The Leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Mujaheed Asari Dokubo on Monday warned the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) not to precipitate religious war in Nigeria by attacking Mosques saying any religious crisis in Nigeria will have ‘far reaching consequences’.

He said, “I am a Muslim I do not subscribe to attacking religious centres of worship, I do not believe that MEND exist, I have always said that there is nothing like MEND. MEND is just the figment of the imagination of people, it’s on the Internet, newspapers, but who is MEND, nobody can really tell you.

“I want to say that there is no religious war in Nigeria and nobody should try to throw Nigeria into religious crisis that will have far reaching consequences.

While I agree with Dokubo in that we do not need any religious crisis, I believe he has become a political jobber if that is not what he has been from day one

Nigeria:MEND threatens to attack Islamic Institutions and others

The Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta,MEND has threatened to launch reprisal attacks against Islamic institutions from Friday 31 May 2013.

The group in an e-mail message said it has decided to embark on these attacks to save Christianity in Nigeria from annihilation by Boko Haram.

In the statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the group said “bombings of mosques, hajj camps, Islamic institutions, large congregations in Islamic events and assassinations of clerics that propagate doctrines of hate, will form the core mission of this crusade code named “Operation Barbarossa”.

The group further vowed that “ The campaign will not in any way interfere with the ongoing “Hurricane Exodus” – which on Saturday, April 13, 2013, at about 01:00 Hrs, swept through the Ewellesuo community, Nembe, Bayelsa State, leaving the destruction of well 62, belonging to Shell Petroleum in its wake”.

The group said that it may may only consider a ceasefire of “Operation Barbarossa” if the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Catholic Church and if the MEND leader, Henry Okah, who is serving 21 years jail term described by the group as one of the few leaders in the Niger Delta region it respects for his integrity, intervene.

This was my fear all along. I hope something is done to avert the chaos that is brewing.

Bayelsa killing: Police pay killers N1m to rescue the only surviving victim

Fresh facts emerged on Thursday that Mr. Lucky Ebebi, one of the 12 policemen who were reportedly killed after an ambush by gunmen in Azuzuama Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, is alive.

Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen freed Ebebi, 31, on Wednesday after collecting N1m ransom from the police.Ebebi, a police corporal, who had spent seven years in the service, was admitted at the Emergency Ward of the Federal Medical Centre where he was treated of minor gunshot injury.He was, however, discharged on Thursday morning and reported at the state police headquarters, Yenagoa, for debriefing. 

When our correspondent contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, he said he was in a meeting. He, however, promised to speak to our correspondent after the meeting

Culled from The Punch

Police Recovers 11 Corpses Of Slain Policemen In Bayelsa

The combined team of the soldiers and the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday recovered 11 out of the 12 burnt and decomposed bodies of the slain policemen along the creeks and waterways of the Azuzama communities of the Southern Ijaw Local Government areas of Bayelsa state.

Some of the recovered bodies were reportedly burnt beyond recognition and mutilated by their killers. They were also reportedly stripped of their uniforms and rifles stolen in the attack.

The news of the recovery of the decomposed bodies of the policemen attracted wailing family members and sympathizers to the Federal Medical Centre waterside.

Team of armed policemen were also deployed to provide security to the team of pathologists and ambulances stationed to convey the bodies to the morgue.

12 policemen were killed on Sunday after suspected militants ambushed their boat in a creek at Zuzama. Three other officers  including a police sergeant escaped death by swimming away to safety.

The Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), on Monday claimed responsibility for the weekend attack at Azuzama, an attack which resulted in the killing of the 12 policemen.

MEND claims responsibility for felling the 12 policemen in the Niger Delta

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Sunday claimed that its fighters killed the 12 policemen whose boat was ambushed in Azuzama, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, on Saturday and that the deaths were to teach the security forces a lesson for scorning its warning.

The militant group had last week announced that it would resume attacks in the oil rich Niger Delta by Friday to avenge alleged collaboration between the Federal Government and South Africa to jail its former leader, Henry Okah. Security agencies had dismissed the threat and said they were ready for MEND which tagged its promised resurgence of attacks, ‘Hurricane Exodus.’

It said it intercepted and engaged government forces in a fierce gun battle and killed the security agents in the process.

MEND, in an online statement on Sunday, also disclosed that two of its fighters died in the exchange of fire with security agents. The crossfire lasted for 40 minutes.

I just like the fact that everybody knows "amnesty programme" was hugely unsuccessful and there is no use towing that line again.

unknown gunmen kill 12 policemen in Bayelsa

Unknown gunmen killed at least 12 policemen in Bayelsa State on Friday night, the day the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta threatened to resume hostilities in the country.

The victims were deployed by the state police command to provide security for the funeral of the late mother of an ex-militant leader, Mr. Kile Torughedi, popularly known as Young Shall Grow.

Torughedi who was the commander of the South Wing of MEND from 2002 till 2009 when he embraced the amnesty for repentant militants is currently serving as the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson on Marine Waterways Security.

If this has to do with militants, Jonathan better rethink his planned amnesty for Boko Haram because it would just be a total waste like we might be witnessing now.