chidi opara reports' contacts inside the camps of militant groups in the creeks of Niger Delta region have informed of split in the ranks of these groups claiming to fight for the emancipation of the oil and gas rich region. The region is known to have been neglected over the years by successive Nigerian governments.
The Administration of Mr. Umaru Yar'Adua having exhausted most military and legal means known to it in dealing with the problem, we were informed, decided through its political party, the Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP) apparachik, to compromise the militants.
chidi opara reports learnt authoritatively that the PDP through the Vice-President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, a Niger Deltan Ijaw, first approached some prominent Ijaw leaders to broker an understanding between the militants and the Nigerian government.
We learnt further that when approached by these Ijaw leaders, some militant groups, who are apparently battle weary embraced the proposal, but the main groups who are affiliated to the Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta(MEND), who despite the depletion in its fighters and equipments due to constant raids by the Joint Taskforce On Security(JTF), still retains considerable fighting powess, did not initially embrace the proposal, but later made a volte face as a ploy to gather more information on the proposal. "We decided to play along with them just to know exactly what they were up to", a MEND insider revealed to chidi opara reports in a telephone chat. Another contact inside one of the the minor militant camps at Dolce island in Rivers State however, countered that, "they were fully with us in the negotiations but backed out when their demand for the unconditional release of Henry Okah was not given immediate attention". Mr. Henry Okah, MEND's leader is facing charges of treason, etc in a federal high court in Nigeria. We can now also report that most of the minor militant groups have accepted the PDP proposal.
MEND had in an online news release last week, sent to chidi opara reports and other news outfits, alleged that "some representatives of Peoples' Democratic Party(PDP) in a secret meeting with commanders of the Movement For The Emancipation Of Niger Delta today friday April 10th, 2009 proposed a robust monetary and amnesty incentive if the group promises to assist the party in securing the 2011 gubernatorial election in the Niger Delta region". MEND said further that it rejected the proposal which it labelled "evil agenda by PDP and its cohorts".
