Skip to main content

MEND denies endorsing Yar'adua's election-Takes Italian hostages

April 30, 2007
MEND statement reads:

At 0600 hrs on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, fighters of the movement for the emancipation of the Niger delta, attacked the chevron operated offshore loading terminal located on the pennington river in Bayelsa state.

 
This attack is intended to serve as a disclaimer to various government sponsored newspaper stories, indicating mends approval of Jonathan and Yar Adua. Jonathans selection as vice president of nigeria is of no consequence to us unless it is accompanied by a fulfillment of all conditions we have previously given to the Nigerian government and oil companies for peace to return to the Niger delta. Today's attack on the chevron operated facility, is also intended to serve as a warning to shell concerning it's return to fields we have previously attacked in bayelsa and delta states.


In the course of the attack on this facility, the following individuals were captured off a vessel in that vicinity;

1. Raffele Pascariello-Italian

2. Alfonso Frawza- Italian

3. John Stapleton-American

4. Juricha Ruic-Croatian

5. Ignazio Gugliota-Italian

6. Mario Celetano-Italian

 

We promised to give the present Nigerian administration a shameful send-off. This attack is one in a series intended to embarrass the out-going regime. It is also a warning to the incoming government which we view as an extension of the present. We will continue with our struggle for justice until we achieve all our goals without exception.

The hostages will be released unconditionally on May 30, 2007. This will only be possible if the oil companies and Bayelsa state government make no attempts to secure the release of these hostages by offering ransom. Any such offers will be viewed as a slight and will compound the situation of these hostages.

We also disclaim all who have come forward recently as elders of the Niger delta promising to disarm militant groups in the delta. They are all frauds who are not capable of keeping the peace in their homes. There will be no peace in the Niger delta until we have justice.

Statement released by Jomo Gbomo

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('comments'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content1'); });

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('content2'); });