Effort to speak to an ex-member of MEND finally beard fruit, for the past week, Ifeanyi Chijioke has been on a relentless effort to get to speak to an ex-member of MEND. When he spoke with Mr Edward, who simply gave his name as ‘Edward the striker’; he noted that MEND stopped existing after it accepted amnesty granted to it. In his extensive chat with Ifeanyi Chijioke, he spoke on the current situation in Niger Delta part of Biafra and NDA. He explained that he regretted everything he did with MEND and was very shocked that the group is being mentioned again today. “We are supposed to forbid that name MEND” he said shaking his head in denial and helplessly gesturing like one that remembered the evil side of the world he had experienced. Unwilling to speak further, he asked me “What is MEND?.....this group stopped existing for a very long time and for them to have been mentioned, something odd is on the table and I smell betrayal” he spontaneously said.
MEND is a group formed in the early days of militancy in Niger part of Biafra; a group aimed at fighting for resource control and compels the government into accepting to leave resources in the hands of the people of oil producing States of Biafra. The fight which was then championed by MEND deviated from its original purpose. Kidnapping, murder and even raping was high in that part of Biafra; a once serene or crime free zone became the home of crime. Agitation was turned into criminality and they lost decency in the fight and also focus. The government infiltrated the group and finally they were bought with amnesty; settled with money and promises and gift to betray the agitation. As men without a single honour or pride, they succumbed to the financial inducement and the people’s future was traded. The betrayal was first of its kind and that was when the people saw that they were all along fighting for their pockets.
Speaking about MEND, Edward said “MEND is the bane of the people; just imagine if they did not betray the people, what should be happening by now? I am not a top member but I decided to join the fight because we all believed it was the people’s fight. We were of the belief that this is our fight and the government must not be left to win but as we were going, we never knew we were fighting for betrayals. When the kidnapping of a thing was introduced was when the deviation started, not to kidnap for a purpose but for their pockets. I was not in a position to talk and neither will I talk and they would listen because we were trained to behave like soldiers. There is a command and that command must be adhered to no matter what.” He said and continued
There is nothing like MEND now since Okahs’ were arrested, everybody collected money and dispersed like the agitation has served its purpose. MEND is no longer in existence and this is why I am afraid that the name MEND is being used to do dirty jobs. Okahs’ may want to keep their hope alive and use just few contacts to connect with the name MEND and work their freedom. MEND is not on ground and has no members; it would be very hard to see a sane person be a member of a group that betrayed the people. They might have used money given by Buhari to buy some persons and they want to resurrect their name or the government wants to use the name because of its popularity in those days”
No doubt that whenever MEND is mentioned you see flashes of bad things and they never represented anything good. They are very serious when it comes to making money and striking deals, the ugly aspect of the whole thing is they leave you out when you are not a top or influential member. I was left out and even I nearly lost my life when I tried to question the decision to drop the agitation and take money. This amnesty of a thing they took at the detriment the people they were supposed to fight for, if you are called for amnesty payment and you get there, they arrest you and MEND is aware of all these. The worst thing that can happen to Niger Delta is to bring back MEND because they would not only destroy lives; they would fracture the future and sell the people out once more”
Speaking on NDA, he believes with the presence of MEND the job will be harder “ NDA is now the hope for freedom and a better future, CML led by Ben has been influential and other ones but we see NDA and CML as the people on ground. NDA is today doing the business MEND could not do and when you see a serious group that is ready to fight for the people; nobody will tell you that they deserve to be trusted and that is the exact thing happening today. MEND volunteered to fight against agitating NDA and threatened to do a lot of things because NDA has proved the people can be resolute and men can live above inducement of any kind. You must understand that MEND is the compromised group that now does the dirty jobs against the people of Niger Delta” he posited.
Nnamdi Kanu has united Biafra and we are today one people; MEND to have decided to fight everybody is what I cannot tell. I regret the fact that each day I wake up and I remember that I was once a member of this group that today want to conquer the people into the hands of an Islamic fanatic that has marginalized and treated us like second class. If we don’t stand united and fight MEND, they would destroy everything we dream and hope for just because of their pockets and wellbeing. They are fighting both our political leaders and agitators and Kanu our saviour. They have just gone mad again but what I believe is MEND is no longer in existence, the acronym MEND is being used by unseen forces in Aso Rock to fight the people of old Eastern region.
By Ifeanyi Chijioke For Biafra Reporters.
Published by Akachukwu Udo.
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