MEND Vows To Attack Mosques

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) at the weekend issued another statement of its intention to attack mosques and oil wells. The terror group which recently through its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, issued a statement on its attack code: Hurricane Exodus, said the new attack, Operation Barbarossa, is to save Christians.

According to Gbomo, MEND would from May 31 embark on a crusade to save Christianity in Nigeria from annihilation. While stating that it would bomb mosques, hajj camps and other Islamic institutions, the group said that it would only consider a ceasefire if the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Catholic Church and jailed Henry Okah, intervene.

MEND further disclosed that its men in the on-going Hurricane Exodus was responsible for the destruction of an oil well of Shell Petroleum Development Company. The statement reads in part: “On behalf of the hapless Christian population in Nigeria, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), will from Friday, May 31, 2013, embark on a crusade to save Christianity in Nigeria from annihilation.

“The bombings of mosques, hajj camps, Islamic institutions, large congregations in Islamic events and assassinations of clerics that propagate doctrines of hate, will form the core mission of this crusade code named, Operation Barbarossa. “This campaign will not in any way interfere with the ongoing Hurricane Exodus – which on Saturday, April 13, 2013, at about 01:00 Hrs, swept through the Ewellesuo community, Nembe, Bayelsa State, leaving the destruction of Well 62 belonging to Shell Petroleum in its wake.

“We may only consider a ceasefire of Operation Barbarossa if the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Catholic church and Henry Okah, one of the few leaders in the Niger Delta region we respect for his integrity, intervene. Also the assurance for a cessation of hostilities targeted at Christians in their places of worship, made privately or publicly by the real Boko Haram leadership will make us call off this crusade. “We have no problems with their attacks on security agencies including the prisons, for their role in extrajudicial killings, torture, deceit and corruption,” MEND said.