Nigeria: Presidency denies bomb allegations

  1. Posted on Wednesday 6 October 2010 - 16:04
    Samuel
    Image of Samuel
    Samuel Okocha, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria
    The Nigerian Presidency has denied the claim by leader of Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND Henry Okah, that an associate of the President, phoned him to tell the group to retract a statement claiming responsibility for last week's twin bomb blasts in Abuja that killed around 12 persons and injured dozens more.
    Eight killed in Nigeria Independence day Car bombs
    “There is no gainsaying the fact that Okah is a drowning man determined to pull others down with him and there is hardly any purpose to be served by joining issues with an accused mass murderer,'' said a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ima Niboro.

    "Okah is a man, who has been known to say one thing and do another and we are not at all surprised by his diversionary rhetoric,’’ the statement added.

    The ex-militant leader had been quoted on Al-Jazeera as saying a presidential aide wanted him to blame the attack on northern leaders who are trying to work against the return of Goodluck Jonathan in 2011.

    Ex-militants visits President

    Meanwhile, ex-militants of Nigeria's Niger Delta on Tuesday paid a solidarity visit to President Jonthan to confirm an earlier assertion by him that the MEND was not involved in the independence anniversary bomb blasts in Abuja.

    “Let it go from here and let it go to the entire world, particularly because we read in the media that it was MEND that carried out the blasts. All the leaders of MEND and all other organizations are here and we say that MEND was not responsible for that bomb blasts. Our struggle is a responsible struggle,” said the leader of the ex-militants’ delegation and president of Ijaw Youth Council, Karomema Mabiye.

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