News and Views on Africa from Africa
Last update: 1 July 2022 h. 10:44
Subscribe to our RSS feed
RSS logo

Latest news

...
18 November, 2009

Nigeria: Militants Invade Rebel Leader's Home

ABUJA, Nigeria

A former Nigerian rebel leader Christian don Pedro's home in the Akuku Toru Area of Rivers State was raided by militants on Tuesday in search of weapons, a move that is now threatening the cease-fire.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) accused the militants of destroying the home, however the raid carried out by the militants yielded no results since they did not find any weapons.

MEND began peace talks with the President Omar Yar’ Adua on Saturday in an attempt to find a permanent solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta.

The raid also is undermining the peace talks since the move taken by the militants is considered as a “breach of trust” between the government and the rebels.

MEND agreed to lay down their weapons in October after the government offered them amnesty in order to pave way for the peace talks.

The rebellion in the Oil-rich Niger Delta has cost Nigeria billions of dollars in terms of revenue as people in the region still live in poverty lines of less than a dollar a day.

The rebel groups have been fighting for an equal share of the oil’s revenue in the Niger Delta since 2006. [GR]

Contact the editor by clicking here Editor