Jonathan’s kinsmen warn militants against campaign of calumny

Group condemns bombing of pipelines

Goodluck Jonathan’s kinsmen in Ogbia, Bayelsa State, have urged militants to end their campaign of calumny against former president.

Under the aegis of Ogbia Brotherhood, the group yesterday challenged security agencies to unravel the masquerades perpetuating economic sabotage and campaign of calumny.

The National Chairman of the body, Chief Benson Agadaga, who spoke at a press conference in Yenagoa on behalf of other executive members, said the allegation was not only false, baseless and mischievous but also wicked.

He, therefore, urged the purported spokesman of the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers to look elsewhere for her tantrums.

“It is unthinkable that the former President by an iota of imagination could be linked with sponsoring or even establishing an armed outfit like the Niger Delta Avengers to antagonise the Federal Government where he has just served as President by the goodwill of all Nigerians,” he said.

They described the former President as an embodiment of peace and stability, adding that from his antecedents, pedigree and actions, the former President has exudes peace and a firm believer in the sanctity of life and the unity and prosperity of Nigeria as an indivisible entity.

Besides, the South-South Reawakening Group at a meeting in Warri has warned the Niger Delta Avengers to halt the bombing of pipelines.

The group said nowhere in Nigeria were critical infrastructure being destroyed in the name of agitation, saying the region would regret the destruction when peace returns.

The convener of the group, Mr. Joseph Ambalederimo, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, said the region would regret the destruction of key oil infrastructure by militants because no other part of the country is witnessing the level of destruction of facilities like the Niger Delta.

Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has lambasted the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leaders for dissociating themselves from alleged concessions secured by MEND to free Nnamdi Kanu from detention in the ongoing talks aimed at resolving the Niger Delta crisis.

In a statement yesterday by MEND’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the group stated, among others: “The attention of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been drawn to the recent spate of hypocritical and provocative statements issued by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu which purport to dissociate IPOB/Kanu from some of the concessions which have so far been secured by MEND in the ongoing talks aimed at resolving the current Niger Delta crisis between the Federal Government and MEND.

“MEND hereby uses this opportunity to inform the entire world that following the group’s ongoing negotiations with the Federal Government, Kanu has made it clear that he is willing to renounce “Biafra” in secret; in exchange for his freedom.”