Niger Delta: MEND’s violence on the rise
The spate of attacks that came later has raised questions over the possible unraveling of the amnesty deal as militants stage attacks against security personnel while carrying out fresh campaigns of violence against oil workers and installations in the region. Norwegian risk analysis firm, Bergen Risk Solutions said in a recent report on the […]
The spate of attacks that came later has raised questions over the possible unraveling of the amnesty deal as militants stage attacks against security personnel while carrying out fresh campaigns of violence against oil workers and installations in the region.
Norwegian risk analysis firm, Bergen Risk Solutions said in a recent report on the fresh violence in the Niger Delta that the amnesty could fail within months. The report stated: “The possibility that former militants will return to violence and sabotage petroleum infrastructure is increasing as so-called ‘Third Phase Militants’ continue to be denied access to the amnesty programme.” Another risk analysis firm, AKE said in its February report on the same issue that “foreign vessels will face an increased risk of kidnap as militancy increases in the Niger Delta, with political motives used as justification to carry out criminal activities.” It added that the main incentive for offshore attacks will continue to be financial.
The most recent violence in the region had claimed the lives of a lieutenant-colonel (see sidebar on next page) and three other soldiers, according to military sources, even though the militants bragged that the soldiers they killed are ten.
Relying on the strength of the amnesty deal signed between the federal government and the militants, the military Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta dismissed the group as criminals hiding under the shadow of MEND to perpetrate evil. The status of MEND, which is the umbrella body of the militant groups in the Niger Delta, has been shrouded in controversy as government and former warlords who accepted the government’s amnesty say the group has been disbanded while some other groups, mostly those who grumble of being excluded from the amnesty, claim it is still alive and kicking.
The JTF declared wanted Friday Burutu, Lord Onipa, Robinson Agagudu, Eyala Karo, Stanley Uduorie, Para Ekiyes and Rasmus Omukoro in respect of the attacks on Agip facilities. It claimed it has been able to kill one of the rising warlords in the creeks, Shedrack Itokofuwei, alias ‘Mammy Water’, in the latest attack that claimed the lives of the four soldiers.
JTF spokesman, Timothy Antigha announced barely 48-hours after the incident that the attack on the soldiers was actually carried out by a gang of sea pirates led by ‘Mammy Water’, who hails from Azagbene in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. This is contrary to the claim by MEND a day earlier that its group was responsible for the gruesome murder of the soldiers including the lieutenant Colonel who is Commander of the Brass unit of JTF.
Antigha in a statement explained that, “Mammy Water and his gang left his base in a convoy of about five speed boats heading to Forupa, a new location in Bayelsa State and attacked JTF personnel who were heading to Ogbia from Brass. Thereafter, the same convoy encountered a Marine Police check point which they also attacked.” He said the military patrol teams within the vicinity were alerted to swoop in on the criminal convoy who later emerged at One Man Camp (a fishing settlement) where they were engaged by a Nigerian Navy patrol boat and three of their speed boats were sunk while two others escaped. “The leader of the gang Shedrack Itokofuwei, alias Mammy Water was among those killed in the fire fight as disclosed by his gang member captured close to the scene of encounter with the Navy Patrol boat,” he said. MEND disputed the claim, saying “the attack was carried out by our fighters.”
However, the JTF insisted that, Mammy Water and his gang are behind the series of attacks within Nigerian territorial waters in the last three months which led to the JTF storming his residence in Azagbene in December, declaring him wanted.
While this renewed threat is creating a panic in the oil industry the question remains if this group, whether unrepentant militants or pirates, are capable of striking huge damage on the Nigerian oil industry and thereby rendering to naught the touted success of the amnesty programme where militants were pardoned and paid monthly salaries in addition to other incentives to get them to renounce violence.
Additionally, with the likes of Henry and Charles Okah in detention and people like Tompolo, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, Farah Dagogo, Ateke Tom, Boyloaf, Shoot-At-Sight, Ogunbos and many others, having embraced the government’s amnesty, distancing themselves from militancy, it remains unclear how the new group claiming to be MEND intends to prosecute a fresh war in the region. Already, the group has been taking a leaf from the old book of militants in the region by whipping up sentiments about neglect of the oil-rich region by the government and the failure of oil companies to pay compensations to victims of environmental devastation in the area.
The ‘new’ MEND is also relying on a new set of fighters, which it claims are disenchanted with the state of things in the region. Among those in this rank are ex-militants, who nurse grievances against their former leaders who they accused of short-changing them in the federal government’s amnesty programme. They have hinted of more attacks to come and warn people to take seriously their threats of carrying out bombings so there would be no civilian casualties.
Those more susceptible to be recruited into the new wave of violence threatening to break out in the region are those who claim to be under the Niger Delta Phase III militants, a group that had blockaded roads and staged protests alleging their exclusion from the largesse shared out to militant leaders in the amnesty deal.
The JTF spokesman stressed that the attack on its personnel and other atrocities committed within the last three months have been staged by a few different and uncoordinated groups of itinerant criminals operating within the Niger Delta region.
In its reaction, MEND said: “Since when have pirates in the Niger Delta been known to travel in such large numbers as admitted by JTF which for once is forced to concede to the loss of a senior officer?”
The Bayelsa State chairman of the Maritime Workers Union, Chief Lloyd Sese in his reaction to the unfortunate development stressed that over the years, the people of the creeks had contended with the severe challenge of sea piracy which has led to loss of lives. “Successive government in the state,” he said, “had dealt with these issues at various times with the intent to find lasting solutions that could better the lives of the shoreline natives, yet, there was no evidence to show that safety of lives and property is anything achievable or in sight for the islanders.”
He said, “In the past few months, the menace of the pirates had added another dimension to the problems bedeviling the coastline communities as the criminality has become a daily occurrence on the high sea and plunging many families into deep sorrows from either the loss or maiming of their loved ones.
The situation, Weekly Trust gathered was heavily compounded by the non-existence of security surveillance in the waterways which many people have attributed to the non-availability of alternative road network and other means of transportation for the locals to make ends meet.
Moreover, Mammy Water, as victims who spoke preferred to code the robbers, have capitalized on security failure to operate in the creeks.
The Defence Headquarters directed that the JTF should confront and eliminate the challenge which is responsible for the loss of federal government revenue to the tune of $15.8 Billion, through pipeline vandalism and associated economic crimes. In a statement: “In this new phase, the mission of the JTF will include, but not limited to; elimination of pipeline vandalism, crude oil theft, illegal oil refining and illegal oil bunkering. It will also cover the elimination of piracy and all forms of sea robbery within its area of responsibility in order to create a conducive environment for the operation of the nation’s oil and gas industry.”
It was based on this declaration that a battle line was drawn between the JTF, oil bunkerers and sea pirates, says a former militant, who disclosed that the Mammy Water group which was formerly loyal to the leadership of ex-militants Tompolo and Boyloaf but rejected the amnesty for unknown reasons had long terrorized people plying the water route. “They refused to surrender their arms and we don’t know what they are agitating for. They were part of the militants before the amnesty but are now criminals with weapons.”
National President of the Third phase ex-militants who are seeking inclusion into the federal government amnesty offer, Ramsey Umuokoro condemned in strong terms the killing of the security operatives. Umuokoro in a telephone interview told Weekly Trust that his group had surrendered their arms to security agencies and were awaiting their inclusion in the amnesty even though it was been delayed, they have no reason to go back to the creeks. “We don’t exactly know what the Mammy Water group is fighting for, but we are genuine in our pursuit to be included in the amnesty programme, we are not criminals , we don’t kill people neither are we collaborators of the recent attacks on security men or destruction of pipeline facilities,” he said, admitting that he was yet to settle with the JTF who declared him and six others wanted some weeks ago over destruction of AGIP’s oil facility. He added that he is innocent of the accusations leveled against him.
The Presidency has said many times that the amnesty programme had no third phase, but some ex-militants kept parading themselves as members of Third Phase Amnesty Programme. Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Chief Executive Officer of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku had said the amnesty office had not received directives from President Goodluck Jonathan to admit new entrants into the programme.
Meanwhile, the JTF is sweeping the waterways, a development that has forced sea pirates and ex-militants awaiting inclusion into the amnesty to flee to neighboring states. “After all,” one JTF operative told Weekly Trust, “They brought it upon themselves.”