MEND’S FRESH THREAT

The terrorist group, Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta is reported to have issued fresh threats to commence a new bombing campaign in the Niger Delta, Lagos and Abuja. Using its traditional mode of communication and signature, the group said its planned attacks this time will be catastrophic, and warned Nigerians and foreigners not to ignore its warnings. The target of the new wave of terror attacks by the group appears to be to cripple the political campaigns for the April elections; as well as re-state the group’s undiluted hostility towards the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

          The M.E.N.D terrorist group claims that the government of President Goodluck Jonathan has shown its unwillingness to address key grievances of the people of the Niger Delta. It complains that rather than confront the real issues, President Jonathan’s government has chosen instead to continue to dole out bribes to thugs, and plunder the resources of the Niger Delta into his presidential campaign. The group accuses the President of deceiving the world and Nigerians that there is peace in the Niger Delta. It draws a parallel between its campaign and the mass uprisings in North Africa, and warns that its own revolution will cripple the entire Nigerian oil industry with simultaneous bombings that has never been seen in this country.

          There is no foolproof guarantee that this latest threat by this group is false, although there have been instances in the past when threats were made which the group disowned. Whether it is genuine or not, and whether this terrorist group intends to unleash terror against fellow Nigerians because it has scores to settle with the government, it will be wise not to dismiss this threat altogether. The Police and other security agencies have said they are on the alert, and will respond appropriately to any threat from the group. This is reassuring, but Nigerians will still worry that we have to continue to live under the threat, real or imaginary, of these terrorists every time they decide to attack, kill and maim innocent citizens.

          It is now clear that the expensive and inherently risky Amnesty Programme of the Federal Government has not had much impact in terms of reducing the threat of violence from the Niger Delta. The 1^st of October cowardly attack on innocent citizens who were celebrating a landmark achievement in our history in Abuja took place when the Amnesty programme was in full swing. Former killers, bombers, kidnappers and rapists and their backers and financiers were all granted amnesty, even in the face of informed cynicism that the real culprits will not sheath their swords. Billions of Nigerian peoples’ money is being spent to teach former killers and kidnappers skills and to give them expensive education in as far away as Ghana, South Africa and Malaysia. Even if Nigerians are charitable enough to say that these former militants are not part of M.E.N.D, and will, in the long run, reduce the potential for M.E.N.D to tap into existing grievances and a ready army, it will be fair to ask how much difference the Amnesty Programme is making in terms of reducing the threat or actual manifestation of violent acts.

If M.E.N.D is still a potent threat, the question to ask is whether we are wasting public funds rehabilitating the wrong people. How much of the collective resources of the Nigerian people do we need to deploy to bring these recurring threats and actual attacks to an end? What does M.E.N.D want in specific terms, and can Nigerians afford to give it to them? If we cannot afford the price which these terrorists want us to pay, what do we do about them? Is the combined competence of all our security agencies, international intelligence agencies who are favorably-disposed to sharing information with us, and the political will of President Jonathan’s administration incapable of identifying who or what and where exactly M.E.N.D is? Even with its leader incarcerated in a South African prison, these terrorists retain the capacity to put fear into our hearts. And now, they threaten every Nigerian who attends a political rally in Lagos, Abuja or other cities; they threaten international oil companies; and they want to be seen as we see the spontaneous and popular uprisings in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt when they place bombs that kill fellow citizens who are poorer and more powerless than they are.

          It will be a major test of the will of President Jonathan and the competence of our security agencies, how they respond to this latest threat of these terrorists. Nigerians are tired of living in fear and threat. Someone somewhere must have a solution that will rid us of this problem comprehensively and finally. Whatever it takes to deal with the M.E.N.D must be contemplated and undertaken. The single most important issue before all candidates competing for our votes must be how they intend to deal with these threats coming from the Niger Delta. We should not vote for any candidate who has no clear-cut strategy and political will to give us the assurances we need that M.E.N.D and all organizations like it can be taken on and eliminated.