* We’re ready for them, MEND bares fangs
Leaders of the Fulani community in Delta State, on Monday, disowned a publication in which the faceless authors threatened to attack Asaba and Agbor if Governor Ifeanyi Okowa fails, within 72 hours, to withdraw his support for the ban on open grazing in the southern part of the country.
An anonymous letter containing the threat which was titled “Fulani Jihadist Warning: An Open Message of 2 Paragraphs to Delta State” had on Sunday caused tension in the State.
The leaders including Muktar Usman, Musa Mohammed, Haruna Abubakar, Useni Haruna among others, said none of their followers was responsible for the publication.
Muktar Usman who doubles as Senior Special Assistant to Governor Okowa on Special Duties said they were disappointed with the anonymous publication, adding that fear of attack by their host communities heightened since Sunday.
“We are not part and parcel of that nonsense, and we condemn this act in all ramifications. We are Nigerians and we have a good understanding with our host communities. We are at peace with our host communities.
“We are calling on the state government and security agencies to fish out those behind it.
“We are more accepted in Delta than in our own states of origin. I want to encourage our people to remain peace-loving and not create unnecessary tension.
“Since yesterday (Sunday) all Fulanis were panicking, they were expecting that the host community can attack them at any time, of which they do not know what is going,’ Usman said.
Musa Mohammed, who is Sariki Delta, said they have been in Delta for over 40 years, insisting that they know nothing about the publication.
“This is our home and we cannot create problems for the State because this is where we earn a living. Government should bring those people who did that publication.
“We are very peace-loving and Delta has been good to us,” he said.
But the Movement for the Emancipation and Defence of the Niger Delta (MEND) has vowed to launch a reprisal attack if the faceless “Fulanis Jihadists” carry out their threat of attacking Delta State.
Reacting to the threat in a widely circulated statement Monday, the new MEND warned that it will unleash 10 times worse, any attack on the State by the alleged Fulani group.
MEND said: “The attention of ‘The Movement for the Emancipation and the Defence of the Niger Delta has been brought to the threat of some Fulani terrorists who have given a three-day warning to the Governor of Delta State because of his support for the ban on open grazing across the Southern states.
“We also saw your taking responsibility for an explosion at the Secretariat in Asaba.
“We are warning that if your threat is made to come to fulfilment, no Fulani will ever exist across the Niger Delta and all oil facilities linked to a Fulani will be brought down. If one soul is lost, 10 Fulani souls will pay for it. If one facility is destroyed, 10 Fulani facilities will be destroyed.
“We will respond proportionately 10 times whatever you give, the corresponding response will not be limited to the Delta. It may be with your politicians or with your rulers.
“We will launch three rocket launchers and ballistic missiles at any facility of our choice as a warning in seven days if you make bold your threats.
“We don’t make cheap our threats. We have shut down the country and we can, at any time, shut you down. We are the Niger Delta. We stand for the interest of the Niger Delta and we will not allow any coward to threaten us. We fight without running.”