Nigeria militants destroy third oil pipeline facility

Abuja. Niger Delta Avengers militant group has for the third time in a week blown up crude oil pipelines belonging to three companies.

The facilities destroyed early Saturday belong to Agip Oil Company, NAOC and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.

A series of tweets by the group said: “At About 2.15am on Saturday the @NDAvengers blow up Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk Line belonging to Agip and Shell.” The militants had on Friday destroyed pipelines belonging to Chevron oil leading to a decline in oil production.

Following the attack, soldiers invaded Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, at about 1.52 am on Saturday. The soldiers stormed the area in seven gunboats.

Attacks followed a two weeks ultimatum for crude oil field owners to vacate the region. In its warning, the group said it will target blocks owned by prominent Nigerians from outside the oil-rich region. According to the militants, companies that failed to heed call to halt operations as per their warning will be forcefully shut.

In a statement released online by the group’s spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, NDA revealed plans to “display our currency, national flag, passport, our ruling council and our territory to the world’’. Addressing the United Nations, the group clarified that: “We are not asking for much, but to free the people of the Niger Delta from environmental pollution, slavery, and oppression.

On Thursday night, NDA attacked the crude oil pipeline, which is the Chevron’s major trunk used to convey oil for export.

Facilities of Agip Oil Company, another oil producer, had also been bombed two times by the militant group within the one month that the group commenced attacks.

The country’s daily oil production has dropped from 2.2 million barrels to less than 1.6 million barrels and the latest attack, according to sources, would further deplete production by 13 per cent. The attacks also reduced supply of crude oil to Kaduna and Warri refineries after the trunk used to transport oil to the companies were destroyed.

Responding to the crisis, the military mobilised and deployed troops, including Air Force and Navy, to the Niger Delta region to combat the militants.

The government also set up a 13-member committee to dialogue with the militant groups in the region. (NMG)