MEND threatens retaliation against Boko Haram

Boko Haram and Mend

An epic terrorist  battle is looming over the country.
The Movement for the   Emancipation of Niger Delta  (MEND) yesterday declared its intention  to rejoin the bombing fray in confrontation against Islamic fundamentalist group Boko Haram.
The Niger Delta group, which bombed Abuja on the nation’s 50th Independence anniversary  last year, told The Nation on the telephone yesterday that it will return to its bombings from tomorrow “as a retaliation against Boko Haram’s activities and the killing of national youth Corps members in the North”.
A MEND official who gave his name as Peters Timi called The Nation’s head office yesterday.
He described himself as the European representative of MEND. He called from a hidden number and declined to reveal where he was calling from.
He urged our reporter to get in touch with him on email address ryrosane@yahoo.com for further  clarification.
The MEND official said nationals of six countries living in Nigeria “should leave or become targets of our bombings. We shall target them and their business interests in Nigeria”.
He listed the countries as Sudan, Niger, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Libya and Mauritania.
MEND also said it is embarking on bombings “to prove a point to Boko Haram that they cannot humiliate President Goodluck Jonathan out of power”.
The president hails from Bayelsa in the Niger Delta. 
The group called for the immediate stoppage of the trial of MEND leader Henry Okah and his brother Charles, and their release from custody “to reunite with their families.”
Henry is on trial in South Africa while Charles is facing trial in Abuja alongside others, in connection with last October bombings in Abuja.
Also yesterday, the Association of ex-militants warned Boko Haram and their sponsors to stop further attacks on innocent Nigerians.
Smith Bounanaowei and John Government, leader and national chairman of the group, spoke in Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. They warned the Boko Haram group not to kill innocent people or disturb the Jonathan administration.
The group wondered why Northern leaders like former Heads of State, Generals Ibrahim Babangida, Muhammadu Buhari, Abdusalami Abubakar, and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and others cannot call the Boko Haram men to order.
They said for more than 38 years when the North ruled the country, there were no bombings. They wondered why it is now that President Goodluck Jonathan is in power that the Boko Haram sect suddenly surfaced.
“We, the ex-militants of the Niger Delta region want to warn that when we were agitating for our right, we didn’t bomb United Nations office but rather oil facilities in our domain. We expected them to do same by burning rice, tomatoes and beans farm and not killing innocent Nigerians. We want to warn that if anything should happen to President  Jonathan, it means the end of this country because we are ready to make it ungovernable for anyone that will succeed Jonathan”, they said.”

Source The Nation Newspaper.