'Come out of hiding in Abuja and try to restore order in the creeks'

In an online statement released yesterday, the restive group known as Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has dared ex-Niger Delta militants to leave Abuja and do battle with them in the creeks.

The statement signed by Jomo Gbomo said, “Some so-called ex-militants and jobless youths, who have sold their birthrights for handouts, were again paid to declare that militancy ended in 2009.

“As they continue to delude themselves, display their ignorance and irrelevance, the region, as can be seen by the world, is in turmoil. That can no longer be hidden.

“We dare the so-called ex-Generals to come out from their hiding in Abuja into the creeks, to restore order.

“The Niger Delta amnesty office in the presidency issued a contradictory statement that MEND only exists on cyberspace. This same office made a public appeal to MEND, to refrain from our threat to attack mosques in retaliation to Boko Haram’s attacks on churches.”

Former militants like Government Tompolo and Asari Dokubo are known to have put aside militancy for amnesty which also saw juicy government contracts given them. Tompolo, for instance was allegedly given a contract to protect the waterways and oil installations running to the tune of over N50 billion ($300 million).