By Emma Amaize
PORT HARCOURT — Former militant leaders in the Niger-Delta, including Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, yesterday, asked the abductors of the Lagos NUJ chairman, Wahab Oba, and four others to release them in one piece and unconditionally, describing their action as barbaric.

Former generals of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, MEND,  in a statement by their spokesman, Mark Anthony, said it was wrong to kidnap journalists, who are the same people that report the oppression of the common man by the ruling class.

Media consultant to Tompolo, Mr. Paul Bebenimibo, who spoke to Vanguard on phone, said “Tompolo is worried about the kidnap of journalists and the rising cases of kidnapping in the South-East. It is unjust to kidnap journalists for money.

Tompolo loves journalists, he knows their importance to the society and so, he is angry that the kidnappers have not deemed it fit to release them after realizing that they are journalists. What money do they want journalists to give them?”

“Our attention has been drawn to the abduction of innocent and law abiding journalists in Abia State by some kidnappers. The security reports coming from the South-East on matters related to kidnapping and other related robbery acts is sad.

We are not too pleased with the prolonged kidnapping of the innocent reporters, especially as the kidnappers have not deemed it fit to claim responsibility and state reasons behind their actions for others to see reason with them, either on personal monetary gains, political or regional agitation”.

“We are more aggrieved and expressed worry, especially as the Nigeria soldiers otherwise known as the Joint Task Force,  JTF, on the Niger_Delta has not carried out cordon and search operation to burn any village in Abia State since  the day of the incident.

Where are the soldiers of JTF in Abia State? If  the kidnap of the innocent journalists was carried out in Niger Delta communities, the Nigerian security operatives would have deemed it fit to declare war on some villages with aerial bombing.

“The 2009 Gbaramatu bombing by soldiers of the JTF, led by General Sarkin Bello incidence was carried out not on “General” Tompolo, but, purely similar criminally_minded youths from distant parts in Niger Delta. However, soldiers decided to burn over nine communities under the guise of cordon and search operation,  and killed hundreds of people, including children, women, boys and old men with property worth billions of naira burnt and looted”, he said.

“For us formerly in MEND, all oil expatriates are criminals and the Federal Government of Nigeria, we were really involved in kidnapping of expatriates to prosecute the Niger Delta struggle, especially because all kidnapped expatriates were stubborn ones who violated our order to quit the Niger Delta territory. And we do not regret our action.

“But why are the South East youths kidnapping people, especially their own brothers. Are they still agitating for the belated Biafra Republic or for what cause?

We in Niger Delta kidnap stubborn multinationals to drive home our point that we need resource control, true federalism, Asari Dokubo and Mr. Henry Okah to be freed; we needed former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to be freed. And we claimed responsibility in all our actions.

We are not criminals as enemies of Niger -Delta have made the world to believe. We are freedom fighters _ that is why the government of late Alhaji Musa Yar’dua pleaded with us to surrender arms and stop kidnapping expatriates and explosion of oil installations,” he added.