{"id":310968,"date":"2011-03-15T02:56:56","date_gmt":"2011-03-15T02:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/15\/nigeria-militants-threat-to-attack-political-rallies\/"},"modified":"2011-03-15T02:56:56","modified_gmt":"2011-03-15T02:56:56","slug":"nigeria-militants-threat-to-attack-political-rallies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/15\/nigeria-militants-threat-to-attack-political-rallies\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria: Militants Threat to Attack Political Rallies"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nDaily Independent<\/a> (Lagos)\n<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Adeola Yusuf, Daniel Abia and Kemi Yesufu<\/p>\n

14 March 2011<\/p>\n

\n

Abuja \u2014 If the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a militant group in the oil-rich delta region of the country, is anything to go by, the on-going political revolution in the Arab world may surface in Nigeria in another form very soon.<\/p>\n

The group issued a statement Monday indicating that it would not only target political rallies in its new offensive, it will ensure that the oil industry is crippled.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

MEND’s threat came just as oil prices tumbled in the international market on Monday and fell below $100 per barrel; the lowest in two weeks.<\/p>\n

The group, in an on-line statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said it would soon commence simultaneous bomb attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta and other strategic locations in Abuja and Lagos.<\/p>\n

Jomo Gbomo is a pseudonym usually employed by the group’s spokesmen.<\/p>\n

However, the threat may face some level of containment if the pledge by Israel to assist Nigeria in the area of combating terrorism comes through immediately.<\/p>\n

The statement by the militant group indicated that “due to our commitment to avert avoidable loss of lives, advance warnings for immediate evacuation (as previously), will be issued and a final warning thirty (30) minutes prior to the blasts, after which will follow a statement of claim in line with our modus operandi”.<\/p>\n

It advised members of the public to stay away from political gatherings or meetings of any sort.<\/p>\n

It recalled that the casualty level recorded during the last Independence Day bomb blast was due to the “callousness of the Nigerian security services and ignorance of the general public …”<\/p>\n

The group warned that those who choose to ignore the warning do so at their own peril as the aftermath of the blasts, according to the statement, “would be catastrophic”.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The government of President Goodluck Jonathan, the group alleged, has shown its unwillingness to address the key issues of the Niger Delta “but chosen instead, to continue doling out bribes to thugs and plunder(ing) the resources of the Niger Delta into his presidential campaign, while deceiving the world and Nigerians that there is peace in the Niger Delta.<\/p>\n

“Our revolution, like our fellow brothers in Northern Africa, will start with the crippling of the Nigerian oil industry to flush out all western oil companies operating in the Niger Delta region and the simultaneous bomb blasts never anticipated in the history of this country.<\/p>\n

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta salutes the courage and dedication of its fighters who have against all odds persisted in the fight for justice”.<\/p>\n

It would be recalled that MEND was fingered in the October 1, 2010 Independence Day twin blasts close to the Eagle Square, Abuja, where Jonathan hosted world dignitaries to mark the country’s 50th anniversary.<\/p>\n

About 12 people were reported dead in the attack, while several others sustained first degree burns.<\/p>\n

The report of the Federal Government’s investigation into that blasts and that of the military barracks on Christmas Eve is yet to be published.<\/p>\n

MEND’s suspected leader, Henry Okah, was charged shortly afterwards in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he lives, with conspiracy and terrorism, which he denies. He remains in detention.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Other suspected ringleaders have been arrested in Nigeria and it is unclear what operational capacity the group still has.<\/p>\n

The Israeli Government has, however, offered to assist the Nigerian Government in fighting the menace.<\/p>\n

According to a press statement made available to Daily Independent in Abuja on Monday, the Israeli Ambassador, Moshe Ram, made the pledge on behalf of his country in Minna while commiserating with Niger State Governor, Muazu Babangida Aliyu, whose campaign rally was recently targeted in Suleja, killing 10 persons and injuring others.<\/p>\n

Ram noted that no country is today spared of the ongoing global spread of terror.<\/p>\n

The envoy, who led a delegation of Israeli businessmen to the state, said for many years “we were exposed to this wave of insanity” referring to attacks on the State of Israel by terror organisations. He assured of his country’s readiness to share its experience with Nigeria in combating terrorism.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the oil price dip occurred after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated North Eastern Japan, denting demand for crude from the world’s third-largest economy.<\/p>\n

The commodity fell to two-week low on Monday, slipping nearly $3 at one point, as concerns over the economic impact from Japan’s catastrophic earthquake and Tsunami knocked global investor confidence.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ICE Brent crude was trading $1.56 lower at $112.26 a barrel by 1145 GMT, having struck $111.16, the lowest since February 25. U.S. crude fell $1.49 to $99.67, after hitting an intraday low of $98.55.<\/p>\n

Oil demand from Japan, the world number three energy consumer, is expected to fall in the short to medium term as the country’s economic activity is likely to be subdued following devastation caused by the strongest quake on record and the ensuing tsunami, analysts said.<\/p>\n

“Japanese stocks fell sharply as the impact on the Japanese economy from the massive earthquake on Friday is worrying.<\/p>\n

“Asian shares were dragged lower and the trend has been to avert risks, including oil,” analysts with Japan’s Mizuho Corporate Bank said in its commodities research note.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Sunday said the country was facing its biggest disaster since the Second World War.<\/p>\n

The earthquake and tsunami on Friday devastated a large part of northeast Japan, killing at least 1,000 people, with thousands more missing.<\/p>\n

Nuclear power plants’ coolant systems failed and two explosions hit the Fukushima nuclear plant. Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co (9501.T) was struggling to keep coolant water in one reactor core.<\/p>\n

Many other nuclear plants and oil refineries have been shut. Ports and other infrastructure sustained severe damage.<\/p>\n

Refined oil products and gas prices, however, were outperforming crude oil prices due to an expected increase in import demand in coming weeks and months from Japan to cover lost oil refining and nuclear power generation capacity.<\/p>\n

Construction shares were up in Asia as northeast Japan was expected to need extensive reconstruction work.<\/p>\n

Christopher Bellew with Bache Commodities said the unrest in oil rich North Africa and the Middle East would continue to provide support to oil prices.<\/p>\n

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi’s troops battled rebel fighters for control of the strategic oil town of Brega, while France was stepping up efforts to persuade world powers to impose a no-fly zone over Libya.<\/p>\n

More than half of Libya’s 1.6 million barrels per day oil output has been shut in due to the unrest.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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\nNigeria: Militants Threat to Attack Political Rallies<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daily Independent (Lagos) Adeola Yusuf, Daniel Abia and Kemi Yesufu 14 March 2011 Abuja \u2014 If the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a militant group in the oil-rich delta region of the country, is anything to go by, the on-going political revolution in the Arab world may surface in Nigeria in another form very soon. The group issued a statement Monday indicating that it would not only target political rallies in its new offensive, it will ensure that the oil industry is crippled. MEND’s threat came just as oil prices tumbled in the international market on Monday and fell below $100 per barrel; the lowest in two weeks<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-310968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nNigeria: Militants Threat to Attack Political Rallies - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/15\/nigeria-militants-threat-to-attack-political-rallies\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Nigeria: Militants Threat to Attack Political Rallies - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Daily Independent (Lagos) Adeola Yusuf, Daniel Abia and Kemi Yesufu 14 March 2011 Abuja \u2014 If the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), a militant group in the oil-rich delta region of the country, is anything to go by, the on-going political revolution in the Arab world may surface in Nigeria in another form very soon. 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