The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has denounced recent threats by ex-agitators in the Niger Delta to attack oil facilities amid ongoing political tensions in Rivers State.
This reaction follows warnings from the Niger Delta Development Force, a coalition of former militants, to target oil installations over alleged plans to withhold Rivers allocations from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) through court order to CBN.
MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, announced in a statement that the group would support security agencies in protecting the region’s crude oil assets from any potential attacks.
Gbomo emphasized MEND’s opposition to violence stemming from the dispute between Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike and his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, calling it “unfortunate” given both politicians’ origins in the Niger Delta.
Gbomo made it clear that MEND will not engage in hostilities on behalf of any politician, regardless of personal gains. He pointed to the strides made under collaborative efforts within the region, which enabled an Ijaw governor to lead Rivers State—a milestone he attributed partly to Wike’s influence. “We cannot be lured into carrying arms for any political agenda,” Gbomo stressed.
MEND has pledged full cooperation with federal security forces to ensure oil installations remain secured and vowed to support efforts in bringing any instigators of violence to justice.
The group also called on elders and traditional leaders in the Niger Delta to mediate the ongoing political discord, urging peaceful resolution through dialogue or, if necessary, judicial intervention.
The Rivers crisis escalated when a Federal High Court in Abuja prohibited the Central Bank of Nigeria from disbursing further monthly allocations to Rivers State, citing constitutional breaches by Governor Fubara in his recent budget presentation.
