Emmanuel Thomas
Nigeria, June 3, 2016 – Militants operating in the Niger Delta known as Niger Delta Avengers today said it has blown up more oil pipelines in the region, including a major export terminal.
In a statement on its official twitter account, the group said it blew up the Shell Petroleum Development Company SPDC 48 Forcados Exportline. The group said it blew up the line because SPDC went ahead with repair work on pipelines it earlier vandalized despite warning not to do so.
It said its strike team blew it up at 3.00am today. It added that its officers also targeted Brass to Tebidaba Crude Oil line in Bayelsa and that the operation took place at 3:30 am. The group however refuted reports that it was responsible for attack on military house boat in the region.
It added that at 2am, it blew up Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba crode oil pipeline.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Brigadier General Mudock Agbinibo, the Niger Delta Avengers warned Agip not to go ahead and repair the damaged pipelines.
It warned that Agip will have reason to regret if it goes ahead to carry out repair works. It said the mission is to return oil production in the Niger Delta to zero percent.
The Niger Delta Avengers has carried out several attacks on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta area forcing the Nigerian government to deploy 100 gunboats, 4 warships with APCs and fighter jets to the area. But the attacks have not abated, with loss of lives.
This recent attack is coming less than 12 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off Oil Spill Clean-up in Bodo, in Gokana Local Government in Ogoniland.
The group which has rejected offers from the Nigerian government to work with security agencies to protect oil installations in the area said it is fighting for a sovereign state and was not interested in oil contracts. Sovereign state and development of the region has been the major demands of the militants.
The group also published reports detailing how oil wells have been apportioned in the time past with 80 percent of owners from Northern Nigeria.
