By Bode Olagoke
Abuja
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has confirmed President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government dialogue with militants through oil companies and law enforcement agents.
The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) had faulted the President’s earlier claims that the federal government was in talk with the militant groups.
In a statement yesterday, MEND confirmed that it had, indeed, been holding “preliminary talks” with the federal government.
It said militant groups such as the avengers were excluded because they belong to the group of “criminals” whom the federal government had said from start that it would never dialogue with.
“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,” read a statement issued by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.
“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 federal government made it clear, during our meetings that negotiations with criminals is out of the question.
“The Niger Delta Avengers, internet-based militant groups such as Joint Revolutionary Council, Ultimate Warriors etc, an Ijaw opportunistic tribal assembly, who were compromised to keep silent during the six years of Goodluck Jonathan’s misrule and neglect, pirates, pipeline vandals, oil thieves, commercial kidnappers, waterway robbers, political thugs and miscreants all fall under this category.”
