Nigeria dismisses fresh militant threat

  1. Posted on Friday 28 August 2009 - 08:30
    Murtala
    Image of Murtala
    Murtala Kamara Mohammed, AfricaNews reporter in Freetown, Sierra Leone
    Federal defense minister of Nigeria, Major General Godwin Abbe (rtd), has dismissed recent threat by the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) that they will resume their attacks on September 15th this year, after the end of the 60-day amnesty offer by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua.
    Ya'Adua
    MEND said earlier in their statement that “The ongoing amnesty program by the government of Nigeria seems to have achieved (sic) separating those who still have the zeal to fight for our freedom and those who were in it for money” and that they will resume bombing soon after the amnesty expires.

    Abbe cautioned the militants to accept the amnesty offer in the interest of peace before it expires. He said on Wednesday at a press conference at the Presidential Villa in Abuja that the militant would loose trust from the rest of the Nigerian people and the region as a whole if they fail to accept the amnesty process. Abbe said the ‘fresh threat’ is being taking seriously by the government and that the authorities will not hesitate to deploy armed forces to put down any insurgence in any part of the country to secure their people and oil facilities.

    "We have appealed to their consciences not to carry out the threat because they have more to lose if they go back to militancy," the General warned whiles adding that "they should not continue to bring cry and anguish to women, children and the elderly in the region" This Day newspaper reported.

    Abbe further disclosed on the issue of exchanging cash for arms that government would not give money to any group of militants for arms as according to him he wonder why militants should be compensated for killing, maiming and disrupting economic activities, all in the name of amnesty. He said it would amount as if they are being rewarded for their bad deeds.

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