Amnesty

Beyond Amnesty: 2009 Citizens Report on State and Local Government Budgets in the Niger Delta

Daphne — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:43:21 +0000

This report presents analyses and monitoring reports of the 2009 state and local government budgets of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers States by members, volunteers and associates of the Niger Delta Citizens and Budget Platform (NDCBP).

/sites/default/files/Citizens Report 2009.3.pdf

Publication Date:

Monday, January 25, 2010

The Niger Delta: Crisis Prevention or Post-conflict Reconstruction?

Sabella — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:34:46 +0000

Author:

Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

Events in the last three decades seem to indicate that the international community prefers post-conflict mediation and reconstruction, rather than crisis prevention. This appears to be the case especially by western governments. On the surface at least, instead of investing in crisis prevention, governments and institutions hedge their bets, measure domestic pulses, and engage in endless debates and diplomatic niceties insofar as a looming disaster is concerned.

Publication Date:

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Niger Delta: The Complexities of the Post-Amnesty Environment (part 1)

Sabella — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 02:18:04 +0000

Author:

Sabella Ogbobode Abidde

According to the United Nations, “the collapse of state authority, erosion of basic services, marginalization and exclusion of youth and women and endemic poverty over several decades were significant contributing factors to Sierra Leone's decade of war” which lasted from1991 until 2002.

Publication Date:

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Nigerian Militants Vow to Resume Attacks Next Week

Daniel — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:16:27 +0000

Author:

Associated Press

Nigerian Militants Vow to Resume Attacks Next Week

Filed at 7:22 a.m. ET

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) -- Nigeria's main militant group vowed to resume attacks after a cease-fire expires next week, while the government said Thursday that more than 8,000 militants had disarmed as part of an amnesty program.

Source:

Associated Press

Publication Date:

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Nigeria: Disarmament - Militants Name Soyinka, Akhigbe, Others Mediators

Daniel — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:16:44 +0000

Author:

Paul Arhewe, Sunday Osanyintuyi and Chesa Chesa

Lagos/Abuja — Wole Soyinka was on Tuesday named by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) among those to negotiate with Abuja on disarmament, bringing credibility to the process, as well as hope of a lasting peace in the Deep South.

Others in the 'Aaron Team,' as the MEND puts it, are Mike Akhigbe, Luke Kakadu Aprezi, and Sabella Ogbobode Abidde, as well as Annkio Briggs who will liaise on its behalf with these personalities who have volunteered to ensure a just resolution of the Niger Delta question.

Source:

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Publication Date:

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Nigerian Government Preparing for Imminent Military Offensive in the Delta

Daniel — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:47:31 +0000

Author:

Daniel Volman

There is mounting evidence that the government of Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar’adua is set to launch a full-scale offensive in the Niger Delta when a ceasefire declared by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) ends on 15 Sep 2009.

And this time, Nigerian military forces will be using special warships, helicopter gunships and troop transports, and unmanned drone intelligence planes and ships sold to Nigeria by Israeli, Malaysian, Singaporean, Dutch, and Russian companies.

Source:

Niger Delta Rising

Publication Date:

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Cameroon Army Weapons at Bayelsa Disarmament Ceremony

McDelta — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:21:55 +0000

The Browning .50 Caliber Machine Guns (listed by government as Brandy Machine Guns)
displayed on Saturday, August 22, 2009 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state were identified by
Cameroonian Military Intelligence as suspected weapons seized after an attack on
November 12, 2007 in its territorial waters by unknown gun men from Nigeria believed
to be men of the Nigerian army in which 21 Cameroonian gendarmes were killed.

We hope that the Nigerian military whom we accused recently of providing its weapons
for display at that shameful disarmament ceremony will allow an independent

Publication Date:

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Bayelsa Disarmament Charade

McDelta — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 01:51:01 +0000

"There are still too many! Bring them down to the spring, and I will sort out who
will go with you and who will not"
- God to Gideon (Judges 7:5)

The ongoing amnesty program by the government of Nigeria seems to have achieved
separating those who still have the zeal to fight for our freedom from those who
were in it for the money.

Today, Saturday, August 22, 2009 that sorting process was again re-enacted in
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state where weapons mostly bought by the government were
displayed and the boys separated from the men in the circus.

Publication Date:

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Soboma Jackrich AKA Gen. Egberipapa

McDelta — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 01:11:30 +0000

Mr Soboma Jackrich aka Egberipapa who was arrested in December 2008 by the JTF
after he voluntarily surrendered to the Amayanabo of Buguma for a peace parley is
still languishing in Kuje prison Abuja even after his lawyer has notified the
government of his clients desire to accept the amnesty offer.

His continued detention is without any court order and he has not yet been charged
with any offense to date.

The selective amnesty parade of some individuals seems to confirm the suspicion of
many observers that the entire exercise is a charade.

Publication Date:

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Amnesty

McDelta — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:12:33 +0000

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) categorically denies the
orchestrated rumors being peddled by government agents and propagandists that MEND
senior commanders, Farah Dagogo, Boyloaf and Soboma George have accepted to receive
amnesty by proxy as carried in some local newspapers.

It is a shame that the interior minister and his cohorts are offering bribes and
incentives to militants in a desperate attempt to get our cooperation in sharing the
50billion Naira budgeted for the amnesty exercise.

Publication Date:

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Proclamation of Amnesty

McDelta — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 22:00:56 +0000

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been receiving calls
and emails from well wishers from around the world wanting to know our response to
the proclamation of amnesty by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on
June 25, 2009.

Our response as been not to comment on it officially because from all indications,
it is not directed at freedom fighters which MEND is a part of . The proclamation of
amnesty seems to be directed at criminals such as armed robbers, rapists, kidnappers
seeking for ransom etc.

Publication Date:

Friday, June 26, 2009

Piper Alpha blasts Shell Forcados off shore Platform

McDelta — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:55:43 +0000

The sincerity of the government of Nigeria came into question again on Friday, June
26, 2009 after the Interior Minister, General Godwin Abbe (rtd) informed the nation
that the release of a sick Henry Okah would now depend on consultations with the
dictators and despots ruling Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The minister also lied when he said Okah traveled to Equatorial Guinea. The fact is
that Mr Henry Okah has never set foot in that country; not even as an airport
transit passenger.

In the case of Angola, the authorities in that country had severally wanted to

Publication Date:

Monday, August 17, 2009

IYC Claim

McDelta — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:33:15 +0000

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) categorically denies any
interaction with Dr. Chris Ekiyor, president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) over
the issue of the on-going attacks or government amnesty offer.

We are aware that there are many opportunist groups and individuals that take
advantage of situations such as this to make themselves relevant and line their
pockets by acting as middle men.

MEND has outlined its strategy as far as Hurricane Moses is concerned and when we
choose to have a team speak on our behalf, we will make it public.

Publication Date:

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Amnesty

McDelta — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 02:58:41 +0000

As the hours of the August 6, 2009 Federal Government of Nigeria's amnesty offer
draw near, it is important to clarify certain insinuations as well as set the facts
straight to counter propagandists and rumour mongers.

It is true that Boyloaf who is a MEND commander in Bayelsa state has expressed a
desire to return to civilian life and as such he is in Abuja in furtherance of his
personal pursuits. Already, a replacement has been effected to take over his
command.

Boyloaf is not acting on behalf of MEND which is already in consultations with the

Publication Date:

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Amnesty Fraud Alert

McDelta — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:12:26 +0000

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been approached by
the Nigerian government to own up to thousands of weapons belonging to the Nigerian
Army which would be delivered secretly at night to an arms collection centre if we
agree to the plan.

This desperate measure which aims to give the amnesty program some semblance of
progress has the input and connivance of the Amnesty Commitee, Ministry of Niger
Delta Affairs, Ministry of Defense as well as the Joint Task Force.

We know that some unscrupulous individuals will participate in this scam because of

Publication Date:

Thursday, August 13, 2009