Nigeria’s main militant group Wednesday denied that it has discussed with anyone the government’s amnesty offer or the ongoing attacks on oil facilities.
Last month, President Umaru Yar’Adua announced amnesty for Niger Delta militants who laid their arms.
Since then, a number of people who have publicly claimed to be representatives of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta stressed that the group would accept the government’s 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 middlemen,” MEND said in a statement.
The statement said the group has outlined its strategy as far as Hurricane Moses, the code name for its “oil war,” is concerned and “when we choose to have a team speak on our behalf, we will make it public. Anyone purporting to speak on our behalf at this time … should be disregarded.”