Niger Delta Group writes Tinubu over alleged attempt to frame Ex-MEND Secretary-General
By Odie Ramon, Yenagoa.
A Niger Delta Peace advocacy group, the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND) has sent a protest letter to President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun over an alleged plot to frame up the Former Secretary-General of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), Comrade Jude Gbaboyor over the 2019 looting of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) Vocational Centre at Orubiri community of Boro Town, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area in Bayelsa State.
According to the group, some desperate officials from the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have initiated a plot with some elders and youths of the host community, Orubiri in Boro-town, to conveniently frame up Comrade Jude Gbaboyor of being the mastermind of the 2019 looting due to his threats of exposing rising cases of illegal arrest, detention, abuse of human rights and extra-judicial killings in the region.
The Publicity Secretary of the Movement for the Sustainable Development of the Niger Delta (MSDND), Comrade Kelvin Orughe, in a statement, issued via electronic mail, states that the plot to frame up Comrade Jude Gbaboyor is a desperate move by those involved in the alleged cases of illegal arrest, detention, abuse of human rights and extra-judicial killings in the region to distract the Presidency from its ongoing investigations.
Orughe, in the statement, argued that “the meeting between officials of government with the elders and some youths of the Orubiri community in Boro-town, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of Bayelsa State was held between Friday 24th January and Saturday 25th January 2025 and the topic was the frivolous claim against Comrade Jude Gbaboyor as the mastermind of the 2019 looting of the Amnesty Training Center on Kiama.
“We want Nigerians to know that these allegations are false, untrue, and a mischievous attempt to rubbish comrade Jude Gbaboyor and to sway him away from his plan to present to the nation and the international community evidence of unspeakable atrocities and to expose those behind cases of illegal arrest, detention, abuse of human rights and extra-judicial killings in the region in guise of being pipeline contractors.”
“In all the falsehoods that are being peddled against him, it must be stated that Comrade Gbaboyor had no administrative powers in the Presidential Amnesty office, where he was an employee, just like other employees who want the best for the PAP and the people of the region.”
“It will be recalled that when the incident happened Comrade Jude Gbaboyor was among those calling for the reconstruction of the training centre. In fact, within the past five (5) years, Comrade Jude Gbaboyo has been fighting for the Amnesty training center to be rebuilt and he raised the issue to stakeholders from the region during a meeting with NDDC officials to partner with the Amnesty Programme for the reconstruction of the Amnesty training facility in Orubiri and to provide some basic social amenities for the host communities.”
“Comrade Jude Gbaboyor also raised the issue of rebuilding the Amnesty Training Center and providing more security personnel at the facility with the Ex-PAP Boss, Col. Millan Dixon Dikio (rtd.). He even approached stakeholders from the region who are directors in other federal agencies to partner with the PAP to rehabilitate the Amnesty training facility in Orubiri. He feels that he is part of the community where he has good friends and well-wishers.”
The group called on the Elders and Indigenes of the Orubiri Community not to be deceived and hoodwinked into embarking on a legged journey of falsehood and criminal defamation because whatever the people of the Orubiri community have been told by these officials is falsehood.
“Comrade Jude Gbaboyor has recently embarked on a cause to free the Ijaw Nation and people of the region from diabolic bondage, where youths are forced to make sacrifices against their will and given diabolic oaths to eat before they can be given the pipeline surveillance jobs.”
The group also called on President Bola Tinubu to order an investigation and direct appropriate sanctions against those involved in the alleged attempt to frame up Comrade Jude Gbaboyor, “these people should be suspended for the alleged use of public funds to perpetuate forgery and falsehoods. They should not be allowed to use government funds to intimidate innocent citizens and perpetrate human rights abuses.”
Comrade Kelvin Orughe stated that traditional rulers, elders, and ex-militant leaders across the region are watching the situation and called on security operatives to be extremely careful in their dealings with these desperate and greedy individuals and desist from being compromised and used as a tool to intimidate human rights activists and freedom fighters in the region
