Last Monday’s bomb explosion that rocked the venue of the post-amnesty conference in Warri, Delta State was the handiwork of Henry Okah, says the Niger Delta People Volunteer Force and People Salvation Front. The NDPVF is led by Asari Dokubo.

In a statement sent via e-mail yesterday, the group through its spokesman, Comrade Rex Anighoro condemned what it called an attack by Niger Deltans on their fellow Niger Deltans, describing it as a monumental show of ignominy”.

“It was a monumental show of ignominy and macabre dance of gargantuan proportion in an awful halo of mischief for the so called criminal elements  constituting themselves into a faceless caricature known as the  Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to stage a despicable attack on Niger Deltans who gathered despite their differences to articulate by themselves a way forward for Niger Delta, the statement indicated.

The NDPVF noted that the attack which they claimed was perpetuated by Mr Henry Okah and his brother Charles was done, ‘to attract petty relevance and attempt to stage a comeback into a struggle which he destroyed with his introduction of kidnapping and other criminal activities”.

The Asari Dokubo-led group further noted that despite its rejection of the amnesty programme it decided to be at the dialogue in Warri to show to “both our friends and enemies that we are not against dialogue and genuine peace in the region”.

‘How can any one attack the gathering where respected and well known Niger Delta activitists and leaders, irrespective of their beliefs and leaning like Joseph Evah, Ann Kio Briggs, Mike Igini, Tony Uranta, Pat Utomi and Akpo Mudiaga Odje were, the  statement querried.

The statement further commiserated with the families of those who lost their lives in this ‘ mindless attack and prayed God for the repose of their souls and thanked the organisers of the event for the “ bold initiative to organise this dialogue”.