06 February 2012, Sweetcrude, WARRI – THE Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta, codenamed, Operation Pulo Shield, said it had uncovered the brains behind last Saturday’s bombing of AGIP manifold at Brass in Bayelsa state.
The task force in a statement by its media coordinator, Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha disagreed that the attack was carried out by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger-Delta, saying some persons were out to cause confusion using the name of the militant group.
The statement reads, “Following the dynamite explosion which compromised AGIP manifold at Brass on Friday night, the Joint Task Force, OPERATION PULO SHIELD, have identified the following as the brains behind the dastardly act.
“They are Friday Burutu, Lord Onipa, Robinson Agagudu, Eyala Karo, Stanley Uduorie, Para Ekiyes and Rasmus Omukoro”, it stated.
“Consequently, these suspects are advised to turn themselves in for interaction with authorities of the Joint Task Force in Yenagoa, latest 12 noon, 8 Feb 2012,” the statement added.
According to the spokesman, “The Joint Task Force wishes to reiterate its earlier warning that the suspects and their cohorts are out to swindle Niger Deltans by appropriating the identity of the erstwhile leadership of MEND to advance their selfish interest. For the avoidance of doubt, people who were the leadership of MEND are now responsible members of the society, having accepted the amnesty”.
“In the light of these, the general public is advised to remain calm and discountenance the tissue of lies issued by these suspects as their raison d’etre, because the relevant stages of the amnesty which was granted to authentic ex militants and all the attendant benefits are still on course”, he stated.