A militant group's threat to attack South African investments in Nigeria is being taken seriously by telecoms operator MTN.
MEND is accusing South African president Jacob Zuma of interfering in what it says is its “legitimate fight for justice” in the Niger River Delta region.
MEND has previously been linked to attacks on oil companies' operations in Nigeria. It is one of the largest militant groups in the Niger Delta, and aims to expose what it says is the exploitation of workers in the region and the damage inflicted on the environment by the government and oil companies.
“To the South African government, we accept your challenge and will show you how easy it is to drive your investments out of our region,” said Jomo Gbomo, spokesman of MEND, in a statement.
MTN has invested $5 billion in its operations in Nigeria and it is that country's fourth telecoms company, alongside Globacom, Airtel Nigeria and Etisalat Nigeria.
In a public statement, Funmi Omogbenigun, GM of corporate communications, MTN Nigeria, said: “Matters related to national security are the responsibility of the government and we trust that this threat, like others, will be given the necessary attention by government.”
MTN Nigeria refused to comment further on the matter to ITWeb.
Share
