THE Movement for the Emancipation of the
Niger Delta said on Saturday that it had reached an agreement with the
Federal Government for the conditional release of the leader of the
Indigenous People of Biafra, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu, and former MEND leader, Henry Okah.
The militant group in the Niger Delta
disclosed that the Federal Government also agreed that Okah’s younger
brother, Charles, and Obi Nwabueze would be granted conditional freedom.
MEND
in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said the
agreement was reached after the Aaron Team representatives from Abia and
Imo States, Senator Adolphus Wabara, made a proposal for their freedom.
The condition given by the Federal
Government was that Kanu and his cohorts would renounce the agitation
for the Republic of Biafra.
The statement read, “Thus far, the
deliberations have been fruitful. Various concessions and guarantees
have already been secured; some of which include, but are not limited
to: release of Henry Okah, Charles Okah, and Obi Nwabueze, review of the
life sentence handed to Mr. Edmund Ebiware based on a proposal put
forward by the Aaron Team representative for Abia and Imo states,
Senator Adolphus Wabara, conditional release of IPOB Leader, Mr. Nnamdi
Kanu and others if they renounce their agitation for a ‘Biafra
Republic.’
“That Mr. Government Ekpemupolo shall
not be arrested, harassed and/or intimidated whenever he makes himself
available as a delegate of the MEND
Aaron Team 2; that international arbitrator and conflict negotiator,
American Dr. Judith Asuni, shall be accepted as the representative of
the Niger Delta Avengers on the MEND Aaron Team.
“That the criminal charges against
Urhobo freedom fighter, Mr. Kelvin Prosper Oniarah, shall be reviewed;
that the life sentence, which was handed to seven soldiers in 2008, who
actively supported the Niger Delta struggle be reviewed under the
Presidential Amnesty Programme.
“The affected persons are: Major
Suleiman Akubo; Sgt Mathias Peter; L.Cpl Alexander Davou; L.Cpl Moses
Nwaigwe, L.Cpl Nnandi Anene; L.Cpl Taatihi Emmanuel; and Caleb Bawa.”
The militant group noted that one of the most immediate fallouts of the ongoing dialogue was that the Federal Government and MEND
should jointly and separately take proactive steps to rescue and secure
the region in the event that the Niger Delta Avengers continued with
their “senseless and politically-motivated” path of attacks on the
country’s oil assets.
MEND
added, “To this end, both parties agreed that the Special Forces of the
Nigerian Army should commence the purely routine, but strategic
military exercise code-named ‘Operation Crocodile Tears’ while MEND would commence a meet-the-Government-Actors-and-People tour of the Niger Delta region code-named ‘Operation Moses.’”
Meanwhile, the Acting Director, Defence
Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said that all issues relating to
negotiation were political and being handled by the political leadership
of the country.
He stated however that any step that would bring peace to the area was welcome.
He stressed that the military would
continue to maintain its presence not only in the Niger Delta but also
in other threatened spots in the country.
He said, “The ongoing negotiation is
clearly a political issue. The military would continue to maintain total
presence in any security-threatened location, not only in the Niger
Delta.
“And that is what we are doing in any other area with security issues like the North East and North Central.
“Anything that would bring peace is a
welcome development. Negotiation is completely a political solution by
our political leaders, it doesn’t involve us.
“However, the military would continue to
maintain a high level of presence to ensure that security of lives of
properties are maintained.”
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