Evacuation deadline extended

On 14 May 2009 the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) militant group extended by 48 hours the evacuation deadline it gave oil workers to evacuate the Niger Delta. Initially on 13 May MEND gave oil companies 24 hours to evacuate all staff members or risk being attacked, but extended the deadline in response to alleged requests from oil companies to give them more time to complete their evacuations. The ultimatum came after the Nigerian military's Joint Task Force (JTF) launched what MEND called "unprovoked attacks" on two militant camps in Delta state on 13 May. MEND issued a statement that reads as follows: "Effective 0000 hrs on Saturday, May 16, 2009, the entire Niger Delta region will be declared a no-fly zone to helicopters and float planes operating on behalf of oil companies." Gunmen shot at a helicopter operated by Italy's Agip in February 2009, wounding one passenger, but the aircraft landed safely. Security sources have stated that they are taking MEND's threat seriously but are not making plans to evacuate staff. MEND made a similar threat to "unleash a wave of violence" in January 2009 but failed to make good on the threat.