The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Joint Task Force (JTF) patrol boat on Saturday in the Nembe-Bassanbiri waterways, Bayelsa State.
“This relatively insignificant attack is a reminder of our presence in the creeks of the Niger Delta and a sign of things to come,” MEND spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, stated in an email yesterday.
Gbomo stated that the attack was carried out by “Trainee fighers” and that the group’s plan is to drive out the Nigerian government from the region which supports the continued development of oil exploration and production in the region.
“Our silence thus far, has been strategic and at the right time, we will reduce Nigerian oil production to zero by 2015 and drive off our land, all thieving oil companies,” he stated.
SHIPS & PORTS DAILY reports that a JTF soldier was reported to have been badly injured and a woman was killed in the attack.
The group carried out two attacks in the last three days in the Bayelsa waterways, the separate attacks were made against a commercial passenger boat as well as a patrol boat used by operatives of the Joint Task Force in the waterways and creeks of Nembe and Southern Ijaw areas of Bayelsa State.
The attack on the commercial boat occurred on Thursday along the coastal town of Ekeni in Southern Ijaw local government area while the daring attack on the JTF’s patrol boat took place on Saturday near the Nembe-Bassanbiri community in Nembe.
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