MEND LASHES OUT AT ATTEMPTED BOMBING OF AIRPLANE BY NIGERIAN

The Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta
(MEND) has condemned in very
strong terms the attempted
bombing of Northwest Airlines
plane by “a misguided Islamic
extremist from the northern part of
Nigeria ”
In a statement signed by Jomo
Gbomo, MEND said it was now
evident that the threat to world
peace would not emerge from the
Niger Delta region. It accused the
Nigerian government of turning a
blind eye to Islamic extremism
while deploying troops to curtail the
agitation in the Niger Delta.
MEND frowned at the fact that
despite the ugly incident, the
Federal Government would not
direct focus its attention on the
north but on the Niger Delta where
it believed it could crush those
clamouring for justice.
The statement reads in part “It
should by now be evident that the
threat to world peace will not
emerge from the Niger Delta, a
region agitating for justice as is
acknowledged by every right
thinking human being, but from the
Islamic extremist northern part of
Nigeria covertly supported by its
elite who assume leadership of
Nigeria to be the birthright of this
region.
“This attempted act of terrorism by
this northern Islamic extremist
does not come as a surprise to any
Nigerian. For decades, Christians
have been murdered and raped in
the north of Nigeria with impunity.
No northern Muslim has ever been
brought to book for the thousands
of Christians killed in this region.
Northern Nigeria is fertile ground
for international terrorism.
“The Nigerian government has
persistently turned a blind eye to
Islamic extremists coming from
northern Nigeria, choosing instead
to focus and waste its resources on
military hardware and troop
deployment in the Niger Delta.
“The government of Nigeria, which,
unfortunately, has been dominated
by the north since independence,
has bred such undesirable elements
under false pretexts with the hope
of creating a reserve army to
counter agitation in the South and
other parts of Nigeria.
“In spite of this embarrassment to
the nation, the government will not
re-direct its military to the north,
neither will the rights of these
violent people be trampled as is
the case in the Niger Delta.
“ The minister for defence will not
dare consider any actions in the
north likely to anger the northern
elite who have for decades
condoned all forms of extremism.
If this act of terrorism had been
carried out against the Christian
south of Nigeria, it would
undoubtedly have been covered
up as the government is so quick to
do.
“ The young man who attempted
this cowardly act is not alone and
governments around the world
should pay more attention to
northern Nigeria with its threat to
world peace than to agitation for
justice in the Niger Delta which only
threatens world oil prices.”