Boko Haram’s threat : We’ll resist any attempt to harm Jonathan – Ex N-Delta militants

The threat by the
violent Islamic
group, Boko Haram
to bring down the
administration of
President Goodluck
Jonathan in three
months has drawn
the flak of
stakeholders in the
Niger Delta region
warning of grave
consequences
should any harm
befall him.
Reacting to the
violent Islamic Boko
Haram threat on the
President,
Spokesman of the
defunct Niger Delta
Liberation Force
(NDLF), a former
militant group in the
creek of delta,
Capt. Mark Anthony
warned Boko
Haram to mind its
utterances in the
interest of peace.
Also, the Founding
Director of Ijaw
Council for Human
Rights (ICHR)
Patterson Ogon,
while reacting to
the Boko Haram
threat on President
Jonathan said,
“Boko Haram has
continued as
though they have
the licence to kill.
Threatening the life
of the President is
taking the matter
beyond any
imaginable limit.
In his own reaction,
National Chairman
of South South
Element
Progressives Union
(SSEPU), Mr. Joseph
Ambakederimo said,
“We think the Boko
Haram are
gradually coming
out behind the
curtain to avail
Nigerians of the
real motive of the
group after all.”
The ex Niger delta
chief described as
an affront on the
sensibilities of ex
militants in the
Niger Delta who
have had over 10
years of violent
confrontations with
the Nigerian Army
under the Joint
Task Force warning
that any attempt to
harm the President
would spell doom
for the nation.
In a statement
entitled, “Boko
Haram, Mind Your
Utterances, N/Delta
Ex-militants
warned,” the group
said, “The
attention of the
leadership of Niger
Delta Liberation
Force (NDLF) has
been drawn to the
ranting of Islamist
militants Boko
Haram leadership
utterances of
planning to bring
President Goodluck
Jonathan’s
democratically
elected government
to an end in three
months.
“We viewed this
statement as an
affront on the
sensibilities of
Niger Delta ex-
militants who have
had several face to
face gun
confrontations with
the Nigerian army
under the Joint
Task Force over
ten years.
“We are warning
the entire northern
leaders to advise
their children to be
mindful of their
actions and
utterances as any
attempt on
President Goodluck
Jonathan’s life shall
spell doom for the
entire nation. We
will resist violently
because we have
said it over again
and again that the
Presidency for the
South-South was a
sympathy vote by
the entire country
to appease Niger
Delta ex-militants
and the region
over federal
government criminal
abandonment of
region’s oil and gas
wealth being
exploited over 50
years.”
Any harm to
Jonathan’s life
would elicit
grave
consequences
–
Ijaw Group
In its reaction the
Ijaw Media Forum
through its
President, Elder
Asu Beks urged the
Islamic group to
have a rethink,
warning that any
attempt to harm the
President would be
visited with grave
consequences.
Elder Beks said,
“like other
discerning
Nigerians, the Ijaw
Media Forum knew
before now that the
entire Boko Haram
crisis was a well-
organized political
movement
packaged by those
opposed to the
Jonathan
administration.”
The Ijaw Media
Forum said, “We
are not surprised
that this threat is
coming from the
Boko Haram and
their political
backers. What,
perhaps, beats our
imagination is why it
took the them so
long to open up and
narrow down their
war against their
loss of political
power to President
Jonathan whom
they have always
seen as the cause
of their woes.
“Now that the
group has come out
in clear and
unambiguous terms
the Ijaw media
Forum wishes to
state as follow:
• That President
Jonathan, a
Nigerian of Ijaw
extraction, has the
inalienable right to
govern Nigeria;
and having been
elected by
Nigerians to lead
this country will
remain President till
the end of his
constitutional
tenure.
• That any group,
including Boko
Harm, opposed to
President
Jonathan’s
administration, has
the option of
seeking asylum
anywhere else in
the world until the
end of his tenure.
•That the Ijaw
Media Forum will not
fold its arms and
watch any person
or group intimidate
an Ijaw man whom it
has pleased the
Almighty to pick as
President of Nigeria
at this point in our
national history.
•That henceforth,
any bomb that
explodes within a
radius of FIVE
KILOMETRES of
where the
President is at any
given time will be
matched with a
more devastating
bombing in any
area we consider
appropriate to
carry out
retaliation.
•That any act of
kidnapping which
could be
interpreted to be
part of the
fulfillment of this
recent threat by
Boko Haram will be
met with equal
measure of
retaliation.
That the Niger
Delta youths
agreed to embrace
amnesty in the
interest of the
larger Nigerian
nation does not
mean that we are
pushovers. ENOUGH
IS ENOUGH. Boko
Haram has drawn
the battle line.”
Northern
leaders’
lukearm
attitude is
suspicious–Ogon
Ogon in his reaction
said,
“While I
believe the security
agencies are
deepening their
claws into the veins
of the purveyors of
violence, the
lukewarm response
and mere talks by
the northern
leadership remains
suspect and
outright
disappointing.
“Those who have
claimed to
represent the
murderous and
renegade gang to
negotiate on behalf
of Boko Haram with
the Federal
Government should
be placed on
security watch and
questioned on the
current issues.
Nothing will happen
to Mr. President.
Nonetheless, no
such threat should
be treated with kid
glove.”
SSEPU said Boko
haram has “been
hiding under the
canopy of fighting
against western
education. However
it became curious
that the medium
they use to spread
and propagate their
message is as a
result of those who
have acquired
western education
and we have been
suspect since this
pronouncement.
“Now that the coast
is becoming clearer,
it is high time the
President comes
out to deal
decisively with the
group. There
should be no let in
the offensive on
the group
wherever they may
be found. The
Islamic sect should
be routed out and
crushed for good.”