Former militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, has confirmed that the President Muhammadu Buhari’s-led Federal Government is actually negotiating with militants from the region through some oil companies and law enforcement agents.
MEND’s claim is coming at a time when rampaging separatist group, Niger Delta Avengers denied reports that the Federal Government has commenced dialogue with agitators.
Avengers had described those said to be negotiating with the government as “mercenaries” and not agitators.
However, the defunct agitator confirmed the negotiation in a statement by it’s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo on Sunday.
The statement reads, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) wishes to confirm that indeed it has been in preliminary talks with the Federal Government through oil companies and law-enforcement agencies as revealed by President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, July 21, 2016.
“These preliminary talks are the precursor to a wider dialogue between the Federal Government and the MEND Aaron 2 peace initiative, which will seek to find solutions to the short, medium and long-term future of the Niger Delta region.”
The former militant group disclosed that the Federal Government in the course of the meeting, “made it clear that a negotiation with criminals is out of the question.”
MEND added, “The Niger Delta Avengers, internet-based ‘militant’ groups such as Joint Revolutionary Council, Ultimate Warriors etc., an Ijaw opportunistic tribal assembly, which were compromised to keep silent during the six (6) years of Goodluck Jonathan’s misrule and neglect, pirates, pipeline vandals, oil thieves, commercial kidnappers, waterway. ”
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