Former President, Goodluck Jonathan, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as well as the former Spokesman for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, have all denied reports that they are sponsors of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, NDA.
Jonathan, on Sunday night raised the alarm that his life was under threat, saying that the list which names him as one of the Niger Delta Avengers sponsors, was another attempt by a group, Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, MEND, to eliminate him.
He added, that members of MEND, later bombed his compound in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, on a night he was scheduled to attend to an important matter in his country home.
Earlier, a group which split from the NDA, called Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, had named Jonathan as the grand patron of the NDA.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, the RNDA also listed the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, among others, as sponsors of the group.
However, Jonathan, in a statement on Sunday, by his Media Aide, Ikechukwu Eze, made available to Post-Nigeria, said the list by the splinter group was political, adding that, it was part of an attempt to assassinate him.
The statement read in part, “Since it is not in our place to speak for all those named in the obvious fabrication, we are only intervening to the extent that its hidden intent, poses a violent threat to the life of former President Goodluck Jonathan, a committed patriot.“We are seized by the feeling of déjà vu, occasioned by the resurrection of one dim character, masquerading as Cynthia Whyte, who had in the past served as the spokesperson for a notorious group that had all along shown its hand to be going after the life of former President Jonathan.”“Do we need to remind anybody that the so-called Cynthia Whyte, is the self-declared spokesperson for the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta, a violent and murderous underground group led by one Henry Okah, which has not hidden its intention to destroy the former President?”
“We have no doubt in our mind that MEND, as a group contracted to go after Jonathan with the mind of assassinating him, has yet to abandon this criminal and ignominious craving. It is in this light that we view the purported statement issued by Cynthia Whyte, as not only a sadistic continuation of this sick desire, but also a futile attempt to instigate the Federal Government to needlessly go after the former President.“We are not under any illusion that more accusations and allegations of this nature would not be hurled Jonathan’s way in the future. But we are very positive that he can never be fazed by such negative energy.”
Also reacting, Metuh, described the plot to link him with the militant group, as wicked and devilish.
He said: “I therefore find it very cruel that any person would in any manner whatsoever attempt to associate my name with anything to do with this group or its operations, and I still wonder what the motive behind this sinister plot is.“Indeed, I believe this is a wicked, cruel and devilish plot to link me with such activities, and at this very time, especially as the claim is out rightly false”.
Another named alleged sponsor of the NDA, Governor Wike, in a statement by his spokesman, Simeon Nwakandu, described his link to the group as, “false media propaganda.”
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to yet another false media propaganda, wherein it was claimed that the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, is one of the sponsors of the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers.“We unequivocally deny this false report, which was fabricated with the aim of diverting attention from the superlative performance of Governor Wike”.
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