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Militants reject MEND, issue three-week ultimatum

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Militants reject MEND, issue three-week ultimatum

There seems to be no end in sight over the dindong affair in the proposed dialogue with Niger Delta militants, as militant groups in the region have rejected the Aaron Team 2 negotiation group raised by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

While denouncing the MEND team, the militant groups also gave President Muhammadu Buhari three weeks ultimatum within which to raise a high negotiation team that will have members from the international community.

A group, the Ultimate Warriors, speaking on behalf of other groups, stated this in an electronic mail on Saturday, adding that the government Dialogue Team must be given an unambiguous mandate to parley with militants and other stakeholders to stop pipeline bombings.

In the same vein, the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders, NDRC, also insisted that MEND was neither in the position to speak for Niger Deltans nor impose a negotiating team on the people because the group has taken sides with the Nigerian government against the Niger Delta.

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Similarly, the rampaging Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, has accused government security agencies of collaborating with some saboteurs and members of the defunct MEND to bomb oil pipelines, and thereafter apprehend innocent persons to impress their Commander-in-Chief and sabotage the genuine struggle.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government had resolved to dialogue with the militants after sustained bombing of oil installations in the Niger Delta gravely hurt the nation’s oil output and revenue accruable therefrom.

However, the dialogue has remained still born with accusations of insincerity and nonchalant attitude trailing the federal government over alleged foot dragging on the dialogue option.

The accusation became even more after the President informed the outgoing German Ambassador to Nigeria that his government was already in dialogue with the militants and in the same breath, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, saying he was in Oporoza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, to meet with some members of Niger Delta Avengers.

Both claims were denied by the militants.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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