The last has not been heard on last Friday’s bomb attacks in Abuja during Nigeria’s independence anniversary celebrations which killed 12 persons and injured 36 others, as the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), an umbrella of major militant groups in the Niger Delta yesterday said former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, contacted it to carry out the bomb attacks.
In an electronic mail to Daily Champion by Bakabio Walter, JRC’s spokesman, the group alleged that the attacks were carried out by Henry Okah with the support of IBB, and that the aim was to assassinate President Goodluck Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo among other top government officials.
However, IBB reacting through his spokesman, Kazeem Afegbua, said: “That is a blatant lie. General IBB is too disciplined and patriotic to be drawn into this deliberate blackmail. Please ignore them.”
Part of the group’s statement said: “While we were reflecting on the journey so far, some counter revolutionary elements launched two terrorist attacks in Abuja that took the lives of several innocent people and claimed it was for the Niger Delta struggle. Our intelligence report revealed that those attacks were planned by Okah and executed by the terrorist group he formed with the support of Babangida.
“It was formed with the sole aim of fighting against President Jonathan should he forge ahead with his plan to contest in 2011 poll.
“The attack had two main goals. Firstly, to assassinate Jonathan, Sambo and others in the line of succession who were all present at the golden jubilee celebrations at Eagle Square.
“Secondly, if the President and those in the line of succession survive the attack, the insecurity arising from that would be used as excuse for the military intervention.”
JRC took a snipe at those claiming to be members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), saying they are not, as MEND was disbanded after all of their leaders accepted the federal government’s offer of amnesty.
It said: “The attacks were a mercenary job done on behalf of Babangida and his cohorts. We know this because we were approached earlier by agents of IBB to carry out attacks in the Niger Delta and Abuja to demystify Jonathan and show that he does not have the support of his people, but we declined.
“It was because of this that we suspended our armed campaign this year. We realised that IBB was going to use our genuine agitation to his own selfish, unpatriotic and over ambitious advantage. It was when we declined that they approached Henry Okah who is a mercenary by nature, and they started with the Warri bomb blasts followed by the anniversary attacks. For now we can say authoritatively that Okah heads IBB’s terror machine and they are more sophisticated than what they have done so far.
“The recent events in the politics of the Nigerian state further expose the ethnic and national contradictions and justify our agitations for self determination and call for a sovereign national conference of all the nationalities that were forcefully conscripted into Nigeria. This is the only peaceful way of getting out of this barbarism that is threatening to create the biggest refugee problem in the world,” the group said.
It warned politicians not to “drag our region and its genuine struggle into their muddy water of politics. Also, those who are planning to organise a coup de’tat should know that they would have us to contend with as we will never allow their authority to extend into our region. We are watching keenly as the drama unfolds, knowing that after this mad dance of macabre we shall meet at the barricade.”
Source: Daily Champion – champion.com.ng
No thanks, JRC your after thought comment came a bit too late. Your brother has spoiled the show.
IBB possesses the potential and traits to perpetrate the act.
He knows he can’t win, and is now playin rough.
He is a dangerous virus, and must be stopped.
Dokpesi should desist from working with his earthly lord and master, IBB.
It myt even be too late, bcos he is in soup already.
As 4 Kasim, he doesn’t know what he is doing. His should knwo that a good name is better than the silver and gold IBB has offered him.
Long live the federal republic of Nigeria.
MEND had earlier said they are responsible for the bomb blast why all these?
Pls mister president we are all nigerians,we dont hava to be treating other like animal,mend said that their are responsible for the attack & now you are pointing finger on one person.we shoul all remember that this life is nothing let us be justies in every thing we do.My almighty Allah bless,guid,protect Nigeria our country,peace!peace &peace.
I SEE NO REASON FOR GENERAL IBRAHIM BABAGINDA TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ABUJA BOMB BLAST,IBB IS AN INTELLECTUAL PERSON,HE POSSESSES THE POSSESSION OF A PRESIDENT .HE WAS TO KILL MISTER PRESIDENT AND HIS VICE,I BELIEVE THERE OTHER STATISTICS TO SOLVE DAT.SO LET THE INNOCENT BE.
I SEE NO REASON FOR GENERAL IBRAHIM BABAGINDA TO BE INVOLVED IN THE ABUJA BOMB BLAST,IBB IS AN INTELLECTUAL PERSON,HE POSSESSES THE POSSESSION OF A PRESIDENT.IF HE WAS TO KILL MISTER PRESIDENT AND HIS VICE,I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER STATISTICS TO SOLVE DAT.SO LET THE INNOCENT BE.
I SEE JONATHAN AS SOMEONE WHO IS NOT EXPERIENCED.ON 1ST OF OCTOBER WHEN I WAS WATCHING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY,I WAS SO SO DISAPPOINTED IN MISTER PRESIDENT.HE WAS CONFUSED,AS IN THE WAY HE WAS SITTING WAS NOT ACTIVE.AND I THINK WE ALL SAY WE WANT A GOOD AND ACTIVE LEADER,I DONT THINK MR GOODLUCK CAN DO DAT,INSTEAD HE”S BEEN BRINGING BADLUCKS.LOOK AT THAT OF NIGERIA AT 50.I URGE ALL NIGERIANS TO VOTE WISELY
ALL OF U ALL ARE TALKING OUT OF INEXPERIENCE AND JEALOUSY BECAUSE MEND ALSO HAS COME TO SAY THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. EVEN THE PERSON THAT FORMED MEND ALSO SAID SO ON THE TELEVISION.I KNOW ALL THESE THINGS ARE PLOTTED TO PULL JONATHAN DOWN, BUT TRUST ME, ALL OF U WILL BE DISAPPOINTED. JONATHAN WILL WIN THE PDP PRIMARY AND LATER PROCEED TO WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION IF IBB WANT LET HIM GO AND PLOT MORE EVIL TO FIGHT JONATHAN HE IS WASTING HIS WORTHLESS TIME. THEY CAN’T CONDEMN HE WHO GOD HAS ORDAINED.
Politics, Politics, Politics. They are playing politics with the lives of innocent Nigerians. If we cannot co-exit again, let us seperate in peace. We do not want all these hullabalo about who rule our Nigeria. A set of people believe it is their right to rule. Why can;t we go our seperate ways so that we have many countries to rule?
IN THE ARENA OF POLITICS NIGERIANS ARE DOING FINE . HOWEVER, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT NIGERIANS CAN DO BETTER THAN THEIR BEST BECAUSE THE BEST OF NIGERIA SHOULD NOT BE THROWING BOMB OR CAUSING DESTRUCTIONS . ANY ACTIONS OF VANDALISM SHOULD HAVE BEEN A THING OF THE PAST IN THE HISTORY OF GREAT NIGERIA. THE POLITICAL CAUCUS WHO ARE MAKING RULING A DO OR DIE AFFAIRS IN NIGERIA SHOULD BE CHALLENGED BY SOME OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL INCLINED NATIONS . TO BE CANDID , IS BOMBING OR VANDALISM OR MISUNDERSTANDING IN GORVERNMENTAL CIRCLE OR OTHER RETROGRESSIVENESS THE RIGHT THING NOW IN THE CONTEST OF NIGERIA HISTORY? STARTING FROM THE FIRST CAUCUS TO THE LEAST CAUCUS IN THE CONTEST OF NIGERIAN POLITICAL CLASSES THERE HAS BEEN RECORD OF INADEQUACIES , YET NO BODY THOUGHT IT GOOD TO BE CHALLENGED AND TURN IMMEDIATELY TO A GOOD LIVE. AT THIS POINT IN TIME NIGERIA NEED TO OPERATE IN A NEW DIMENSION USING A NEW VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT WHICH WILL CARRY EVEN THE LIST MAN ON THE STREET ALONG . HOWEVER , SUCH MISSION STATEMENT SHOULD BE STRICTLY ADHERED TO BY THE RULING CLASS IN NIGERIA COUPLED WITH THE MISSION OF THE RULING PARTY . NIGERIA HAS LONG BEEN IN MESS AND MUST BE UPLIFTED FROM THE MESS USING HUMAN RESOURCES AND MATERIAL RESOURCES GOD ALMIGHTY HAS GIVEN TO NIGERIA. NIGERIAN SHOULD ALWAYS THINK RIGHT, SPEAK RIGHT AND ACT RIGHT. REMAIN BLESSED AND GREAT NIGERIA.
I have strong feelings that IBB dose not have any responsible child that he is proud of other wise by now with all his wealth and power we should be hearing more about his children while he remains at the back ground. he should take a cue from the likes of Bankole and Iyabo. we are tried of old men no matter what, show case your children help them grow, you will not e around for ever.
what is in dark to man his in light to Allah may he have mercy on the nation ameen
My president is good to go for 2011.We have seen north rule naija where is naija now.Mr president came fuel is 65 per litre.Pls leave my president alone.
He’s at it again,just as he killed dele giwa&orders.but 4 jonathan! no way he can’t get him he’s our anionted president. His plot we go against him.
I am very much impressed by the so called patriotic nigerians who have the interest of this nation in their hearts,IBB should go and sit down by now he should himself as an elder stateman to be very contributing to the growth and development of this nation and not to be involved,traced and mention in this kind of terrorist act.