Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), has alleged that the attack on Saipem, an Italian oil servicing firm where a Columbian was killed was carried out by some soldiers, in collaboration with some militants, to get ransom. Reacting to the allegation yesterday, Spokesman of the Joint Military Task Force in Rivers State, Major Musa Sagir, denied the allegation, describing it as unthinkable and said “those benefiting from the poor security situation in the state have embarked on a smear campaign.
“A statement online by MEND said the position arose from an investigation which revealed that the soldiers with their collaborators, latched on to their threat last week to resume hostilities to launch the attack.
The militants had denied any involvement in the attack, pointing out that any time they launch an attack anywhere, they will be bold enough to own up.
The statement further alleged that there was summary execution of some soldiers from the Southern part of the country, for allegedly having sympathy for the Niger Delta cause and therefore, were tagged spies. �Information reaching MEND indicates that the Saipem attack of Thursday, September 27, 2007 was carried out by some renegade soldiers, in collaboration with some criminal gangs who wanted to exploit our statement declaring anend to the cease-fire.
“MEND sympathises with family of the Colombian whowas killed during the attack. Two weeks ago, in an unrelated incident, some soldiers attached to the joint task force weresecretly executed in Port Harcourt by the NigerianArmy. The men, from southern Nigeria, were accused of being spies sympathetic to militants in the vanguard of the emancipation struggle. This extra-judicial killing by the military is another indication of its frustration in the fight against justice in the Niger Delta and the absence of the rule of law. Foreigners are now labeled and arrested as spies, just because they want to expose thetruth to the outside world.
“Recently, two Germans and an American were arrested for spying,” they said.On the allegation of the summary execution, Musa saidit was out of military tradition, as there were processes to be followed when a soldier goes against his expectations in the line of duty and dismissed it as the position of one not familiar with the military tradition.He reminded MEND that they were in a civilian regime where due process and rule of law cannot be compromised, talk less of executing people for the purpose they alleged, insisting that no such thing happened.
Oct12007