Government Ekpemupolo Tompolo's meeting with MEND's members truncated as soldiers seal off meeting venue

The proposed MEND meeting which was scheduled to hold yesterday morning did not hold as soldiers reportedly sealed off the Ijaw House, venue of the proposed meeting on the orders of the state governor, Dickson Seriake. Sources at the governors office say Seriake had sent a letter to MEND members proposing to meet with them at a later date to discuss their grievances. The group, through its spokesperson, Eric Omare, released a statement condemning the soldiers invasion of Ijaw House. Read the statement after the cut...

"The Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide condemn in the strongest terms the military invasion of Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State; the administrative headquarters of the Ijaw National Congress the Ijaw Youth Council and housing the Bayelsa State Ministry of Ijaw National Affairs and Culture. A combined team of military and police officers in the early hours of Friday, the 24th of July, 2015 invaded and took over Ijaw House, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State to prevent ex-Niger Delta agitators from having their proposed meeting on Saturday, the 25th of July, 2015. This is illegal, unconstitutional and a draw back to the dark days of military dictatorship where Nigerians were deprived of their fundamental rights. The IYC wishes to remind the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, that we are in a constitutional democracy where things are done according to law. The fears of many Nigerians that General Buhari would take Nigeria back to the dark days of dictatorship where there is no regard for human rights are coming to reality. The IYC has it on good authority that President Buhari has an agenda to bomb and destroy the Niger-Delta region especially the Ijaw areas. The military movement into the Niger Delta region we have been reliably informed would commence this week.”the statement read