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Former members of
the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in
Furupagha, an Ijaw clan in Ondo State, have vowed not to allow any
election to take place in the state if the Federal Government fails to
recognise former leader of the group in the on-going dialogue with MEND.

In a statement made
available by the ex-militants in Akure, the Ondo State capital through
their spokesman, Ebakormor Ayebi, the youth said failure to carry along
their leader, known as “Creek Lion” in the proposed dialogue with other
leaders of MEND, will not augur well for the existing peace currently
being enjoyed in the state.

The return of Creek Lion

Mr Ayebi noted that
the group, under the leadership of “Creek Lion” is prepared to call on
all ex-freedom fighters in the creeks of Gbelebu, Taribor, Ebijaw,
Zion, Makporo, Kolonbou, Ubagbororo, Siluko, Kekere, Ofinege, Okwa,
Madagbayo and Ezide; to take up arms and stop the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) from conducting elections in Ondo State.

The central body of
MEND had, last week, issued a threat that it will unleash terror in
some parts of the country, including Abuja and Lagos, and political
gatherings over what the group described as the federal government’s
defiant approach to the demands of the freedom fighters on post-amnesty
programme of the federal government.

The militant group
said while it will leave the high command of MEND to face the issue of
fresh hostilities on oil installations and political gatherings, the
Furupagha section of MEND will ensure that no INEC official is allowed
to stay and conduct election in any polling booth in all the 203
political wards in Ondo State if its demands are not met.

Meeting the unhappy

But the Special
Adviser to the President on Niger-Delta Affairs, Kingsley Kuku had said
that the Federal Government is ready to enter into dialogue with MEND
over the latest threat. Mr Kuku said, “so many threats will come, but
this particular one, we’re not taking it lightly; we’re going to look
into it. It is about engagement, we’re going to engage anybody that is
aggrieved.” Mr Kuku hails from Arogbo-Ijaw, Ese-Odo council area of
Ondo State, which forms part of the area the militant group claimed the
federal government abandoned in the scheme of things.