LONDON (Dow Jones)--A spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, also known as MEND, Tuesday repeated a warning of possible attack in Nigeria's capital of Abuja, after a previous threat didn't materialize..
In an e-mail to the media, Jomo Gbomo, a pseudonym, said: "We hereby repeat our warnings to the residents of Abuja, the heart of the country and to all persons who will be interested in attending the political [presidential campaign] organised by the president Goodluck Jonathan."
Nigeria president Jonathan, who stepped in after the death of his predecessor Umaru Yar'adua, is a candidate for presidential elections due January 2011.
Gbomo Friday threatened a new bombing in Abuja over the arrest of MEND's alleged leader, Henry Okah, in South Africa, but no attack appears to have taken place since.
Okah, ex-leader of MEND, was arrested a few weeks ago in Johannesburg, a day after twin car bombings in Nigeria's capital Abuja killed 12 people. Okah has denied any involvement in the car bombings, according to his lawyers.
Key MEND commanders have accepted the amnesty, but some fighters refused to lay down arms, saying the deal was a "charade" that failed to address the key issues of under-development and injustice in the delta.
-By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44-20-7842-9266; benoit.faucon@dowjones.com
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