texazzpete:

I firmly support the action by the millitary.

Ibime:

Which action? The bombing of villages? MEND have long since dispersed from their position. All the military knows how to do is carpet-bomb the sitting targets i.e the villagers.

Ibime:

Which action? The bombing of villages? MEND have long since dispersed from their position. All the military knows how to do is carpet-bomb the sitting targets i.e the villagers.

Ibime:

Texazzpete, may you fall into MEND hands in Jesus name. Amen.  

@Romeo
The only problem i have with all the people in the South-South
is that they are all too ethnocentric with their agitations,
Mosop for the Ogoni people, Mend for the Ijaws and many more
for different etnicities. How are they going to come together?
If they had unity they would not be fighting the Nigerian state
by now

==================================================
@oludashmi

Which resource are you controlling? You are only being fooled!!
Everyone of them is fighting for their pocket while deceiving
you guyz that they are fighting for your rights.

Let me ask this questions, ever since they have been fighting/kidnapping
and doing all sort of to get money from the government and
individuals in the name of birth right, what have they done
with the money? Have they been able to develop a single street in the smallest community?

No!! Instead, they have succeeded in reaping you all of what
you should share and enjoy by keeping it to themselves.
This terrorism attitude has now been seen as a better means
of livelihood. They keep millions in their bank account and
deceive you that they are fighting for you. You can imagine
one of them after being caught (read in a newspaper)
who said he has saved about N50 million withing few months.
And you been FOOLS have not been able to question them about
the little they have gathered thru all the atrocities they
have been committing.

You can imagine a university finalist who is planning to go to
the Niger Delta to become a militant immediately after
graduation simply cos he knows he could gather millions for
himself not for the benefit of his people, within a short
period. You guyz should talk to yourselves and stop wasting
your lives.

===========================
@oludashmi

Where is Ansari Dokubo today? You can't hear his voice, he has
saved too much for himself and now that he has an oil
company-Ansari Oil, he doesn't care what becomes of his people.
But years back, he was bragging up and down as if fighting
for Niger Deltas.

The poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer.
Wake up and stop saying you want get any resource control or
think that they are fighting for you.
=======================================

@Litmus

MEND aren’t interested in empowering the people of Delta, they
are only interested in enriching themselves. Most of the people
in that organisation are probably former armed rubbers who,
in the typical Nigerian fashion have figured a way to go
upmarket. Why risk being shot dead by police, army or
vigilanty (or even uncle) for stealing petty cash at the point
of a gun when you can steal millions by exploiting the people’s
real or perceived grievances. Think about it, if you were an
armed rubber today in Nigerian Cameroon or Benin Republic,
wouldn’t you make a beeline for the delta where there are rich
pickings to be had from bunkering or from kidnapping and
demanding ransom money? I’m sure even if the leadership of
MEND were politically motivated, which I doubt, they would not
turn away people who pop out of nowhere in the bush and ask to
join their struggle. The Delta is such a quagmire of swamp,
creeks and jungle, if you armed yourself and hid in the bush
there, the Nigerian army or even a more sophisticated western
one would be hard-pressed to get you.

The same dark foreign forces that were behind the war in
Sierra Leone (probably behind those in Liberia and Congo as
well) are very willing to sell Africans military equipment for
profit. Moreover, when the resultant war leads to anarchy,
they make further profits by exploiting resources, which have
become more freely available and cheap because nobody is
keeping an eye on things.

===========================

@ naijaking1

@Poster
What has kidnapping of a River state's official got to do with warning northerners to stay away from the delta region
I was thinking MEND had kidnapped the Emir of Kano, or some top official from the north, now that would have been news.

MEND is not going to succeed, because of false intellectual philosophies provided by the like of Ibime, Adaka Boro, etc.
Greed, laziness, and petty jealousy have never been known to form the philosophical cornerstone of any people's liberation idealogy.

==================================


Given the history of wars in Africa, what lead to them and how they are eventually resolved, I am baffled that anyone in their right minds can support the actions of MEND.

Frankly, I seek refuge in the thought that many of the people who write about Nigeria on so-called Nigerians boards are not actually Nigerians. Nigerians just aren’t so stupid.

[/code][i][b]yes criminality is bad.

remember that there is no act of war that will not need criminality to sustain espeacially when the MEND do not ve "sponsors"

Lenin stole money to fund the revolution against capitalism

since most of this freedom fighters get their 'ideology' from socialism, i wont blame any of their "criminal act" [/b][/i][code]

ThinkRait:

The Niger delta crisis is more than we can see. Top FG officials are stockholders(not stakeholders) in the crisis business.
If you doubt this, ask yourself some simple questions
1. How do the militants get the sophisticated weapons they use?
2. Who negotiates for hostage release?
3. Why is NNPC under the direct supervision of the presidency?

ThinkRait:

I strongly believe President Yar'Adua, Vice-President Jonathan, former president Obasanjo, all know the identities of the so-called militant leaders. They are simply business partners.

texazzpete:

Don't be naive. do the militia groups in Somalia get their weapons from the federal government of Nigeria also? or the rebels in chad?
There's a huge underground arms market that provides weapons for cash with ease, with weapons such as RPGs sold for a few hundred dollars. Do you kow how many thousands of barrels of oil these millitants bunker and sell daily?

Follow your own advice and learn the basic facts before making daft comments. The identities of the millitant leaders are known to almost every Nigerian, seeing as how they've been plastered all over the Nigerian media and celebrated by their 'elders'. Does that make us all business partners of the millitants?

denko:

IMAGINE THE COUNTRY WE CALL ONE NIGERIA ONE NATION ONE PEOPLE



Abuja the Defence Head Quarters(DHQ), warned on Monday in Abuja , that the military would no longer sit back and allow its men get killed by militant groups while carrying out their constitutional responsibilities, without taking reprisal action.

It also maintained that military internal operations in the Niger Delta region, which is aimed at wiping out militancy in the region will continue until acts of militancy are completely eradicated in the troubled region.

Similarly, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), denied reports of genocide allegedly carried out in an Ijaw community of Delta State, where soldiers of the Joint Task Force Operations (JTF), in the area were said to have razed down some communities and killed innocent people in a clash with some militant groups. Director, Defence Information (DDI), Colonel Chris Jemitola, told Defence correspondents at a briefing at the Defence Head Quarters that allegations that some villages namely Oporoza, Ubefan, Okerenkoko, Kurutie, Azama, Benikurukuru, Kunukunuma and other villages making up Gbaramatu-Ijaw communities in Delta State were said to have been bombed by soldiers using helicopter gunship, with hundreds of civilians killed, and thousands of others displaced were not true.

Rather, he described the rumours making the rounds as another media strategy, employed by the militants to curry public sentiment and sympathy, saying that “no community was razed down in the process” and pointed out that collateral damage was kept to the barest minimum. The Defence spokesman, while noting that he cannot confirm the casuality figure on the side of the JTF and the militant group, since the operation is still on-going, stated categorically that “In the course of carrying out its responsibilities, the military will no longer tolerate or watch criminal gangs slaughter its personnel without response.”

Reiterating the resolve of the military to continue its operations in the region as long as the militants keep operating there, Jemitola said “what we have observed is the deliberate and repeated unprovoked attacks on JTF troops, the sabotage of oil and gas facilities, the kidnapping for ransom of people and the killing of innocent citizens of the society including children, people of the clergy and the very old citizens. We have also seen the kidnapping and harassment of site workers and contractors carrying out socio-economic development of the area.

“These are all acts of criminality that cannot be condoned by any government and no responsible military leadership will fold his arm and watch its personnel attacked and killed while on official assignment by any criminal gang. Hence, the military was left with no choice than to go after these criminals in order to bring them to book.

“It is important to note that the Nigerian military has the constitutional responsibility of protecting our vital national interest wherever they may be. In the course of carrying out this responsibility, the military will no longer tolerate or watch criminal gangs slaughter its personnel without recourse.” He gave the background of the incident that led to the JTF onslaught, saying: “On the 13th of May, 2009, members of the JTF, OPERATION RESTORE HOPE, on routine escort duties around Chanomi creek were ambushed by a militant group leading to the unfortunate and painful loss of some military personnel.
“Prior to this, an NNPC chartered Tanker CM SPIRIT had been hijacked with its foreign crew and some Nigerians on board. This vessel was run aground by the militants, who also stole some of its cargo while the crew members were tortured leading to the death of some of the crew members and the rest held hostage.” According to him,

“The search led to the discovery of a large cache of illegal arms and ammunition used for acts of criminality. It must be noted that at no time were members of the JTF the aggressors. In fact, the JTF is only allowed the use of force in self defence or where arrest of a criminal is being resisted. Moreover, extra care is taken to reduce collateral damage to the barest.

“Instead, what we have observed is the deliberate and repeated unprovoked attacks on JTF troops, the sabotage of oil and gas facilities, kidnapping for ransom of people and the killing of innocent citizens of the society including children, people of the clergy and very old citizens.” Jemitola said the military was left with no choice as a result of the excesses of the militants, “We have also seen the kidnapping and harassment of site workers and contractors carrying out socio-economic development of the area.”

These are all acts of criminality that cannot be condoned by any government and no responsible military leadership will fold his arms and watch its personnel attacked and killed while on official assignment by any criminal gangs. The DDI who explained that before now that several entreaties have been made to the public and the community leaders to appeal to the youth of that area to desist from these criminal acts, added “this is because when it gets to the point when an operation is launched, it is difficult to separate the criminally minded individuals from the law abiding citizens.”

He nonetheless stressed that no community was razed down in this process and collateral damage was kept to the barest minimum. “Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear as only these criminal gangs are being hunted down. Members of the media are invited to visit the area when the dust settles. No naval vessel was damaged or captured as claimed by some militant groups,” the DDI added

babasoty:

most of the folks blabbing here aren't from the Niger delta region so its understandable if you say what you don't experience.i'm an ijaw by birth my community has a well head operated by shell (halleluya). but what have my folks gotten from it a broken down mono pump built 10 years ago, thats all we have from the years of exploitation, my people are mostly fishermen but we find it difficult to fish talk less of eating the one caught, wanna know why, pollution as for farming you are sure of getting nothing from the ground so better not waste your time. that too caused by pollution as for gas flaring lets leave that issue we are used to breathing soot now. if the Nigerian state had addressed our problems right from the days of isaac adaka boro's time probably there wouldn't have been any mend today, mend is a creation of a failed state where the goose that lays the golden egg is killed, all we ever asked for was development to be at par with our fellow Nigerians and all they ever gave us was death.

namun:

please, there is a possibilty that most intention is for looting but please let us take an analytical loook at all perspectives. if it were another region for example, the whole nation was living on YOUr property and claiming ownership would you like it. my simple say to these is EVERY STATE DESERVES FIRST AND UNHINDERED CONTROL TO ITS RESOURCE. however they share or disperse it is there business

arogbowei:

Injustice can never triumph over justice. Never!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!