[DantesPeak]

While not officially confirmed, and even denied by the Nigerian government as of now, MEND wants clarification of Okah situation - or else promises to take no prisoners.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')IL FUTURES: Nymex Crude Above $99/Bbl On Nigeria Jitters

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Crude oil futures leaped above $99 a barrel Tuesday after a Nigerian militant group stirred fears of more disruption to supply from Africa's largest oil producing nation.

A person claiming to be a spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said that Henry Okah, believed to be the group's top leader, had been killed by gunfire in Nigeria.

The purported spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, said in an email to Dow Jones Newswires that the group is giving the government 24 hours to clarify reports of Okah's injuries.

"Failure to do this will bring bloodbath in that region and beyond," the spokesperson said. "We will not take prisoners from the military or oil workers."

MEND initiated its campaign of kidnapping expatriate workers and sabotaging oil installations about two years ago. Last week, Okah was extradited to Nigeria from Angola.

[DantesPeak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '2')/19/08 World News Connection (Newswire) 19:21:16

Nigeria: MEND Leader Okah Reportedly Killed

LAGOS, Feb 19, 2008 (AFP) - The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta ( MEND ), the most prominent armed group in southern Nigeria, said one of its presumed leaders, extradited last week from Angola, reportedly died from gunshot wounds Tuesday in a military hospital in the north of the country. "Disturbing reports just reaching us suggest that Henry Okah succumbed to injuries from gunshot wounds ... at a military hospital in Kaduna state ... after he was shot in what those interrogating him claim was an 'accidental discharge' from the automatic weapon of one of the guards," MEND said in an email to the media. " MEND is giving the Federal Government of Nigeria within the next 24 hours to confirm or deny this murder rumour. Failure to do this will bring a bloodbath in that region and beyond," the statement continued.

[Cid_Yama]

<b>Bloodbath in Nigeria</b>

It is obvious that MEND leader Okah died during interrogation in Nigeria. The fact that they did not put him before a camera to show he was still alive in the face of a nationwide uprising as retribution, confirms his death. After all, it would be such a simple act to do, to prevent a potential bloodbath. He is dead, and Nigeria will cease to be a viable nation tomorrow. Forget about any oil coming out of that country. Multinational oil companies, if they are not performing emergency evacuations of their personnel, are criminally negligent. They might as well start marking down their losses right now.

[DantesPeak]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cid_Yama', '&')lt;b>Bloodbath in Nigeria</b>

It is obvious that MEND leader Okah died during interrogation in Nigeria. The fact that they did not put him before a camera to show he was still alive in the face of a nationwide uprising as retribution, confirms his death. After all, it would be such a simple act to do, to prevent a potential bloodbath. He is dead, and Nigeria will cease to be a viable nation tomorrow. Forget about any oil coming out of that country. Multinational oil companies, if they are not performing emergency evacuations of their personnel, are criminally negligent. They might as well start marking down their losses right now.

[killJOY]

Cid, any thoughts on this article? I've not read much about the incident.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', ' ') Nigerian President Spokesman: Okah 'Alive, Safe In Custody'

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP)--Nigerian authorities said Tuesday that a militant leader was alive after allied fighters threatened further attacks on the country's oil infrastructure if the government did not address rumors their leader had died in custody of gunshot wounds.

Henry Okah was "alive and safe in custody," presidential spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi told The Associated Press.

[Cid_Yama]

In the face of a general uprising you don't say, "Yea, we got him and he's safe. Sorry, he's not available to come before the camera's right now, but trust us he is alive and safe."

That just gets people cleaning their weapons and preparing for action.

Especially since they are twisting the rumor to say the rumor wasn't that he died from an accidental discharge of one of the guards weapons to it being an untrue rumor that he was shot in self defence trying to take a guard's weapon. WTF. He's alive, <b>but if he wasn't</b>, he died doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing and our guard would have had every right to shoot him.

He's dead. Trust me.

[Cid_Yama]

<b>Nigeria: U.S. Embassy Begins Independence Celebrations Today</b>

Ignore the dead MEND leader behind the curtain.

The United States Embassy in Nigeria will today kick off events to mark America's 232nd independence anniversary themed "America and Nigeria: Partners in the Celebration of Democracy and Diversity."

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802210351.html