Niger Delta: Ceasefire Agreement Shaky As JTF Storms Community

NIGER DELTA FIGHTERS

Lagos (THEWILL)- The ceasefire agreement between fighters and government forces in the Niger Delta was yesterday threatened, as the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said, the Nigerian army invaded a community in Rivers State in search of weapons.

Kula Community, a village close to Port Harcourt is home of one of MEND’s former leader, Christian Don Pedro.

In a statement to the media Gbomo Jomo said, “In the midst of negotiations towards a comprehensive resolution of the unrest in the Niger Delta, the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) today, November 17, 2009 at 0600 hrs invaded the Kula community in Akuku Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State ostensibly to search for hidden weapons.

Specifically targeted was the home of a former Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) commander, Christian don Pedro which was extensively destroyed.

This assault on the Kula community yielded nothing. MEND considers such harassment and intimidation of ex-fighters and innocent communities an act of bad faith and a breach of the trust these ex-fighters placed in the Nigerian government with their voluntary surrender.

We urge the Nigerian government to investigate this infringement and call to order its trigger-happy minister for defense. MEND will not tolerate the continued harassment of communities by the Nigerian military and will take appropriate retaliatory actions the next time any community within the Niger Delta is attacked by the Nigerian military.”

A military spokesperson refuted the allegation that it invaded the community in search of weapons. He said they were informed of several hours of sporadic shootings in the community, and the soldiers only went in to investigate the report.

Lieutenant-Colonel Timothy Antigha told Reuters, “ It was dark and the people shooting escaped under the cover of darkness through the creeks. Later our men went to search the area where the shooting was

coming from but we did not recover anything. No one was arrested, no building was destroyed.”

MEND leader, Henry Okah over the weekend criticized the Nigerian government over its commitment and sincerity in upholding the terms of the ceasefire.

Fighters in Port Harcourt, monday looted shops and attacked innocent persons in protest over the non-payment of their October allowance.

The Nigerian government last week met with MEND’s “Aaron Team” made up of Prof. Wole Soyinka, Rear Admiral Mike Akhigbe and three others in continuation of its resolve to achieving a sustainable ceasefire in the region.

Nigeria’s oil output has increased since the ceasefire came into effect some months ago.