Nigeria: MEND Attacks Agip Facility,Threatens MTN,SacOil

After almost a year of silence, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) rose from the ashes and struck Saturday night in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, leading to the destruction of a crude oil trunk line belonging to Italy's oil multinational subsidiary in Nigeria, Agip.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, MEND claimed responsibility for the attack, which the militia group said occurred at 1930hrs on Saturday, forewarning that there will be several other attacks aimed at shutting down Nigeria's oil production and targeting South African interests in the country.

South African companies operating in Nigeria that have been targeted by MEND include the country's telecoms giant MTN and SacOil, an oil and gas company operating in the Niger Delta, among others.

Providing insight on what to expect, MEND said: "In the dark days to come, MTN, SacOil and other South African investments will pay a heavy price for the interference of Jacob Zuma in the legitimate fight for justice in the Niger Delta, by its people." But in what threatens to snowball into an international incident, South Africa's Minis-try of International Relations and Cooperation said yesterday that it would investigate threats against South African companies with investments in Nigeria by MEND.

On the Agip attack, MEND warned that "this relatively insignificant attack is a reminder of our presence in the creeks of the Niger Delta and a sign of things to come. "We have constantly warned Nigerians about Goodluck Jonathan and his train of idiots running Nigeria. Events of the last few months have vindicated our position on the inability of this moron to lead Nigeria anywhere but downwards.

"Rather than address serious issues facing the nation and its citizens, Goodluck Jonathan squanders public funds on tribalistic sycophants and thugs calling themselves ex-militants." The militia group called on Nigerians to disregard the idle threats and ranting of imaginary militant groups and other hired "Jonathan praise singers", adding that "besides empty talk, they are unable to help Jonathan in any way".

"In fact, most so called ex-militants are hiding in Abuja or Lagos, not venturing near their villages in the Niger Delta," it added. MEND said that its silence thus far, had been strategic and at the right time, it would reduce Nigerian oil production to zero and "drive off our land, thieving oil companies".

It observed that British Petroleum (BP) is prepared to pay $25 billion as compensation for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in the United States, yet for worse spills in the Niger Delta "our people are paid with death at the hands of the Nigerian military".

MEND ominously warned that in the dark days to come, MTN, SacOil, and other South African investments would pay a heavy price for the interference of South African President Jacob Zuma in the legitimate fight for justice in the Niger Delta, by its people, blaming the South African president for reducing himself to the position of a hired thug for President Jonathan.

MEND added that it fully understood the negative impact its assault on the Nigerian oil industry would have on the ordinary citizen in a country which relies almost entirely on one source of revenue. "Unfortunately, the extremely irresponsible, floundering government of Nigeria is more concerned with enriching themselves and family members than attending to the problems of the Niger Delta and the continuously depreciating standard of living of the ordinary Nigerian," it said.

It described the Nigerian government as being incapable of managing roads, refineries, power stations and other basic infrastructure, "which is again squandering valuable public funds on a committee tasked with investigating the viability of nuclear energy for electricity generation".

"The government of Nigeria is incapable of safely disposing household refuse. How then do they plan to deal with the toxic by-product of nuclear energy? "Nigerians must know that their ignoramus of a president is controlled by Obasanjo, Western nations, an imbecilic wife and an army of sorcerers," it stated.The militia group said that in this new phase of its struggle for justice, it would pay considerable attention to dealing with security forces and traitorous indigenes of the Niger Delta.

"In this regard, MEND wishes to confirm that our fighters were responsible on the attack at Ogbobagbene in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, on the compound of Godsday Orubebe, Minister for Niger Delta," it said. It advised the general public to take very seriously, any warnings of impending bombings as such warnings would always precede a bombing, providing sufficient time for evacuation.

"Specific members of the security services and the media will in addition to email, receive notification of an impending attack, by SMS in order to minimise the possibility of civilian casualties," MEND stated. However, MEND's threat to target South African interests in Nigeria has prompted the country's Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation to launch an investigation into the threat.

"It's a matter we'll look into definitely; terrorism has to be rooted out," spokesman for the Ministry of International Rela-tions and Cooperation, Clayson Monyela, said by mobile phone yesterday. "The authorities in Nigeria have always been responsive to acts that are unlawful and will deal with this as they always have dealt with such threats," Monyela added.

MTN is leaving security matters to the Nigerian and South African authorities and declined to comment on the threat, a spokesman for the Johannesburg-based company, Rich Mkhondo, said in an e-mailed response to Bloomberg. Last month, the company announced plans to spend more than $1 billion this year to improve its network in Nigeria after the nation's phone regulator demanded better service.

source:Segun James and Ejiofor Alike