EXPECT MASSIVE ATTACKS -MEND

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has punctured claims by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield over the reprisal attack that claimed the lives of ex-militant leader, Shedrack Itokofuwei a.k.a Mammy Water.

The leadership of the JTF while announcing the recovery of the bodies of Lt. Col. A. Malik and the three naval ratings who died, disclosed that recent attacks on its personnel and criminal activities were carried out by the late Mammy Water and his gang, and MEND group.

According to the security outfit, the name MEND was just being used to seek relevance and creating what it called false impression that the attacks were being carried out by loyal group of militants which it was coordinating.

However, MEND, in a statement by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, insisted that its fighters attacked the Marine Police check and killed the JTF convoy.

Noting that the JTF for the first time admitted the loss of a senior officer, MEND said the attack was carried out by a small group of its fighters from Delta State.

Gbomo stated that JTF's story was not true and challenged it to produce the bodies of the pirates that were in the three boats it sunk.

MEND while carpeting the Federal Government for attempting to deceive Nigerians that the crisis in the Niger Delta region was over, hinted at massive attack on oil companies in the coming days.

The statement reads in part: 'It is common knowledge that fighters in the Delta travel seven in a boat. The JTF's claim of three boats sunk equates 21 dead pirates.

'We challenge him to produce the bodies of all the pirates killed by the JTF. Rather than go in the creeks and do what they are paid so much to do, the JTF wastes so much time and resources on talk.

'The oil companies know better and when we commence with our planned attacks on major oil facilities, we wonder what excuses the JTF will have. Nigerians are no doubt getting tired of JTF stories of attacks by Pirates, bunkerers and ghosts.'