Prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, has declared all those claiming to be members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) as FAKE, saying that “anyone or group parading or masquerading himself or itself as MEND is fake and must be operating outside Nigeria.”

The Ijaw leader, who spoke against the backdrop of alleged MEND threats to start the bombing of mosques at the end of next month, therefore, called on ex-militants not to allow themselves to be used, and should also ignore and openly condemn the purported voice of Jomo Gbomo.

MEND had also claimed responsibility for the recent murder of 12 policemen on escort duty in Bayelsa State, South-South Nigeria.

That notwithstanding, Clark iIn a statement personally signed by himself and made available to News Express urged the federal government to probe, expose and punish the claimants of the group.

The statement by the one-time Information Minister reads in part: “Let it be known that the alleged voice of MEND’s Jomo Gbomo no longer exist in Nigeria because there is no more MEND.

“Anyone parading or masquerading himself as Jomo Gbomo is not operation from Nigeria. It may be a voice of a mischievous and unpatriotic Nigerian operating from outside Nigeria.

“Those who were using the name Jomo Gbomo are either in detention awaiting trial or already adjudged guilty and are serving their jail term.”

The elder statesman said that, like other South-South leaders, he received the threat of the acclaimed MEND to attack some Muslim’s places of worship with much regret, stating that “it deserves total condemnation.”

He called “on the security services to put in special efforts to properly investigate the sources of these publications and expose the masterminds,” adding:

“I will like to call on security services to redouble their efforts in providing security in all places of worship, both Christians and Muslims to avert the dastardly acts being concocted in the minds of these unscrupulous groups.

“These threats are obviously the handiworks of mischief makers hiding under the cover of some bogus and faceless groups that are known by many to be non-existent.”

Clark insisted that people of the South-South are known to be peaceful, hospitable and accommodating.

“Even at the height of the agitations directed at environmental justice and equity over years, persons from other parts of Nigeria enjoyed the best hospitality and protection in that part of the country,” he stated.

News Express reports that MEND leader Henry Okah is presently doing jail in South Africa in connection with the group’s alleged terrorist activities in Nigeria.

•Photo shows Edwin Clark.

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