Your questions to senior MEND Commander Ebikabowei Victor Ben AKA General Boyloaf
The man behind the gold shades and camouflage jacket is the self styled General Boyloaf, his real name is Ebikabowei Victor Ben. In the past he’s commanded thousands of young militants who demanded the people of the Niger Delta receive more benefits from the oil production in the Nigerian region. Today he’ll take your calls.
The commander has renounced the use of violence in peace deal but he remains a senior MEND figure (MEND stands for Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta.) The organisation remains split into factions with the use of violence being the key divisive issue.
Here is a recent BBC profile of MEND.
(You may have seen that earlier this week, one MEND faction took responsibility for an attack on oil facilities.)
It's worth adding that the attacks in Abuja during the 50th anniverary celebrations were attributed to MEND but General Boyloaf had nothing to do with them. In fact he condemned the actions.
That said, there was a time when he believed violence was justified. He was responsible for some spectacular and deadly attacks against the oil industry and Nigeria government, perhaps the most infamous being an attack on a Shell off-shore facility.
It’s thought that in the past The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) cut Nigeria's oil production by one-third - causing spikes in the global oil price.
Many of you on Facebook are keen to talk to Mr Ben, we have many interesting questions for him already.
You’re keen to find out how he justifies the violence he’s used in the past, why he’s accepted peace and what makes him different from an ordinary criminal? No subjects are off limits.
Another area I'm interested tro discuss is whether the wealth created by a country's natural resources should be shared across the nation. Or does the region - in this case the Niger Delta - deserve a disproportionate amount of the benefits.
Please leave your phone number along with your comment if you'd like to come on air. We won't publish the number.
Comment number 1.
At 11:27 11th Nov 2010, Max_Mahajan wrote:In June 2009 'Shell' allegedly made an out-of-court settlement in the case brought against it in the USA by Ken Saro-Wiwa's family. The alleged amount was about USD 15 million and 'Shell' did NOT accept any liability for any deaths.
>Why was this paltry out-of-court settlement accepted? Does this affect future legal action by MEND or other groups?
>The Nigerian Government is as much, if not more to blame for the under-development in the Delta? Will the Presidency of Goodluck Jonathan (from the Ijaw tribe) be better for the people in the Delta?
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Comment number 2.
At 11:36 11th Nov 2010, Ibrahim in UK wrote:How successful have you been in gaining more rights for the Niger Delta?
How instrumental was violence to your success/failure in your cause?
Do you believe your actions were within the law?
What advice would you give to other groups who are also looking for greater rights?
How centralised is the control and influence over the various militants claiming to represent MEND.
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Comment number 3.
At 11:48 11th Nov 2010, Max_Mahajan wrote:[Personal details removed by Moderator][Personal details removed by Moderator]General Boyloaf:
To what extent do you believe that the domination of Nigerian politics and the Government by the predominantly Muslim Hausa Fulani is responsible for the lack of development in the Delta or is it that religion is not the issue? Is it a case of the dominant tribe taking ALL or most of the spoils?
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Comment number 4.
At 13:50 11th Nov 2010, Elizabeth Kuranchie-Mensah wrote:I would like to find out why miltary men don't smile?
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Comment number 5.
At 16:14 11th Nov 2010, souldust wrote:i do not think mend is fighting for the people of the niger delta because they release the people they capture after a ransom has been paid.
if they were fighting for the people, they would be saying give us hospitals, roads, etc or else a pipe line would go
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Comment number 6.
At 16:17 11th Nov 2010, souldust wrote:they complain of environmental degredation yet they degrade the environment the more by blowing up pipe lines.
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Comment number 7.
At 17:31 11th Nov 2010, Alan in AZ wrote:Share some of the oil money like the state of Alaska. Every citizen gets a small gift from the state that comes from the Petroleum monies. Let the whole country benefit and the whole country will grow and prosper!
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Comment number 8.
At 17:54 11th Nov 2010, CD wrote:Wouldn't it be better to demand for a portion of the jobs to be given to the local population rather than resort to violence?
How much responsibility does his group taking in intentionally trying to sabotage pipelines and create a bigger environmental disaster on the locals due to the resulting spills?
What does he think about the legal proceedings of Ken Sario in NYC courts? How do you celebrate his sacrifice? He movement was non violent!
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Comment number 9.
At 18:31 11th Nov 2010, Ihas Idriess wrote:Can somebody ask this man to give us the rough estimates of the amount of dollars he has gotten from ransom money for the very many kidnapping he has undertaking. How many schools, or hospitals he was able to build for his people with the money.
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Comment number 10.
At 18:44 11th Nov 2010, Lincoln - Fort Myers Beach wrote:I know Nigerians that claim that the peace deal is not a fair shake for the general's side of the struggle. They seem to suggest that the general has been paid off to promote some kind of peace so that oil can flow freely again. What does the general say about that? Has he abandoned his people's cause for a large payoff?
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Comment number 11.
At 18:47 11th Nov 2010, Lincoln - Fort Myers Beach wrote:@ Elizabeth Kuranchie-Mensah
I would like to find out why military men don't smile?
I suspect that it has something to do with all the horrible atrocities they have committed in the name of righteousness. It haunts them.
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Comment number 12.
At 13:16 12th Nov 2010, Mutlipack_can13 wrote:Why if your name is, senior MEND Commander Ebikabowei, Victor Ben, Are you known as general Boyloaf?
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Comment number 13.
At 13:44 12th Nov 2010, derele wrote:Ken Saro Wiwa and the Ogoni 9, engaged the government and the oil multinationals in peaceful dialog to end the injustices melted out to the impoverished people of Niger Delta whose environment is the worst damaged in the world, yet the government murdered them in a brutal manner. After that incident then came a violent demonstration. The government's earning through oil was cut by 1/3rd and then the government began to negotiate. I believe MEND achieved something that the peaceful ogoni 9 could not achieve which in the end they lost their precious lives despite peaceful negotiation. Nigeria's government does not respect her citizen's right, one of the worst in the world. The general did well by accepting amnesty and it is a clear case of a sheep that was pushed to the wall, he could bite!
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Comment number 14.
At 12:07 13th Nov 2010, Dirisu H Ibrahim wrote:MEND, we have got lots of issues in Nigeria! we have got all it takes to be a great Nation. we have got problems with our mindset, we have got problem with unity among the Muslims and the Christians. we also have problems with our leaders. why don't we all come together and look for a way out of this mess? Violence, attacks, war, kidnapping and killing cannot solve this problem happening in the Niger Delta. we have watched our brothers been slayed and killed in war as a result of the fight for share in the National cake. if we take this situation like this, Nigeria will not move forward. instead of the violence, why don't you train people who can lead Nigeria out of this struggle without violence?
we need peace and peace is what we cry for!!! lets not worsen the situation in this great nation Nigeria........
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