MEND Claims Responsibility For Attack On Nigerian Marine Police Checkpoint in Bayelsa

By SaharaReporters, New York

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack on a Nigerian marine police checkpoint in Bayelsa state.
In a statement signed by Jomo Gbomo, MEND said the attack was carried out “by our fighters.”
It further stated that MEND is “in contact” with the abductors on February 28 of Captain Pikus Viktor, chief engineer Melnikov Slava and crew member Frederick Villamor taken off a Dutch registered reefer, "MV Breeze Clipper", anchored off the coast of Port Harcourt.

It said those kidnappers had offered to hand the sailors to one of the MEND camps in Rivers State, and that the men are all in good health.
“We are considering this offer as these men were not captured from a vessel related to the Nigerian oil industry,” the statement said.  “The master and chief engineer are Russian while the remaining crew member is from the Philippines.”
It warned masters of oil industry vessels who are considering manoeuvers aimed at preventing its fighters from boarding their vessels that it will “launch rockets at the bridge and other parts of the superstructure of such uncooperative vessels, and ensure such vessels are set alight, when we eventually board.”