$200,000 Was Paid As Ransom For Sister of Presidential Aide Oronto Douglas, MEND Says

Augusta Ayam Douglas

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) today said it could authoritatively confirm that the sum of 200,000 US Dollars was paid as ransom to the kidnappers of the sister of Mr. Oronto Douglas, Special Advisor to President Goodluck Jonathan on Research and Strategy, contrary to the claim by the family.

MEND also claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s killing, in Rivers State, of three soldiers and a policeman in a confrontation in Andoni.

In a review of the week October 20 – 26 distributed on Saturday, the group said that it has now infliltrated all the oil companies operating in Nigeria, and that several well-heads and feeder pipe lines were damaged by its ‘Hurricane Exodus’ in Bayelsa, Rivers and Delta States.

“The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) which we earlier infiltrated with the full recruitment of a high level agent resulted in the successful sabotage from within on October 22, 2013,” the group said.  “Throwing a ‘spanner in the works’ does not require rocket science or commando skills to execute. It only takes a belief in our cause to make things happen.”

MEND reported that in Rivers State, on that same day the Warri Refinery was sabotaged, a Joint Task Force (JTF) escort gun boat was engaged in a shootout in the Andoni Local Government area.  Contrary to the version given by the Nigerian Army spokesman, it said, the soldiers were not ambushed but confronted and the attackers were not armed robbers but MEND fighters who killed the three soldiers and a policeman in what MEND called a one-sided skirmish.

“In Brass, Bayelsa State, another boat belonging to the Joint Task Force (JTF) was attacked by another MEND team on the same day the two (2) American sailors, both of whom are psychologically and physically in good health, were abducted.  All the security operatives were killed and their weapons collected. This incident has been conveniently concealed by the JTF.”

MEND observed that some so-called ex-militants and jobless youths who have sold their birth rights for handouts were again paid to declare that militancy ended in 2009.

“As they continue to delude themselves, display their ignorance and irrelevance, the region, as can be seen by the world is in turmoil that can no longer be hidden,” the statement said.  “We dare the so-called ex-generals to come out from their hiding in Abuja into the creeks to restore order. Also the Niger Delta Amnesty office in the Presidency, issued a contradictory statement that MEND only exists on cyberspace. You may recall that this same office made a public appeal to MEND to refrain from our threat to attack mosques in retaliation to Boko Haram’s attacks on churches. They also made a private appeal for the Chevron Tank Farm in Escravos to be spared from mortar attacks which were scheduled for October 01, 2013.”

With reference to the abduction of two Americans of an oil supply vessel on Wednesday by pirates, MEND reiterated that the group is an armed auxiliary outfit and that the group singled out the two Americans on board.

“This action was also to show their disdain and content for an on-going Joint Naval Exercise with foreign Navies in the Delta Region,” the statement said.  “We have informed their abductors that Mr Henry Okah would have wanted the men released as soon as possible.”

In a gloating tone, the statement concluded, “As hurricanes are an art of God, we believe the successes been recorded so far by ‘Hurricane Exodus’, is ordained by God.”