Niger Delta militant group, MEND, condemns activities of Niger Delta Avengers, calls for the scrapping of Amnesty programme

Niger Delta militant group, MEND, condemns activities of Niger Delta Avengers, calls for the scrapping of Amnesty programme

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has condemned the activities of new militant group in the Niger Delta region, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

In a statement released yesterday by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said the Niger Delta Avengers have nothing to do with the Niger Delta struggle but rather they are geared towards destabilizing the Buhari-led government. The statement in part reads

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to condemn and dissociate itself from the recent activities carried out by a group known as the Niger Delta Avengers. Their sudden emergence has absolutely nothing to do with the Niger Delta struggle but rather a tool by certain elements to destabilise the current government. Going by their actions and subsequent statements, it has become very apparent on who the sponsors of these group are. MEND serves notice to the international community that the Niger Delta region shall not be part of a secessionist Biafran State. Rather, the group believes in one strong united Nigerian federation where the principles and ideals of resource control; true federalism; rule of law/respect for human rights; democracy; free enterprise and a vibrant civil society are well entrenched in the grundnorm and put to practice.”

MEND in its statement said the group remains opposed to what it described as “fraudulent and unsustainable” Presidential Amnesty Programme ( PAP), headed by Brigadier General Paul Boroh. "The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) remains vehemently opposed to the fraudulent and unsustainable Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP). headed by Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd) which still runs on the corrupt bureaucratic and operational template of the past administration. We have always made it very clear that unless the root issues which gave birth to the agitations in the Niger Delta region are addressed, in the form of a sincere dialogue, this programme will only continue to remain a mere cesspool of corruption.”