12:06:00 pm
Militants from the Niger Delta havebombed a state-run
oil pipeline in
Warri, Delta state on Tuesday.
Niger Delta militants on Tuesday, bombed a state-run oil
pipeline near the southern port city of Warri, Delta State.
This is the second attack within a week, a community
leader and army officer said. It was gathered that four
surveillance guards deployed to protect the Trans
Forcados export line narrowly escaped death after the militants
opened fire on them.
“The hoodlums after chasing them from the spot came
down from their speedboat, planted dynamite on swamp
boogie, barge, crane and on the line,” he said. Chairman
of Batan community, Dickson Ogugu told AFP that the
militants attacked the pipeline because it was undergoing
repairs.
The militants had warned oil firms not to repair any of the
pipelines it bombed. “The line which was undergoing repair
after the previous attack … was billed for commissioning
either today or tomorrow,” Ogugu said.
According to AFP, he said four surveillance guards deployed
to protect the Trans Forcados export line narrowly escaped death
after the militants opened fire on them.
“Unfortunately, only the dynamite on the barge exploded
and immediately sankinto the water. As I speak to you, the
military are at the scene of the incident trying to dismantle
the other dynamites.” he added.
An army officer, who did not want to be named, confirmed
the incident. “We heard the shots in the middle of the
night, but as you know, we do not patrol the area at night,
so there was nothing we could do,” he said. The line has been
previously targeted by rebels.
AFP further reported that last week, the line was bombed just
hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with representatives
of militant groups in the Niger delta to discuss how to end the
unrest wracking the region.
The state-owned Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC)
operates the pipeline which receives crude from the Batan flowstation
and feeds the Forcados export terminal.
Since the start of the year, several militant groups have attacked oil
facilities, slashing the nation’s outputand hammering revenues.
The militants claim to be seeking a fair share of the nation’s oil wealth
for local residents as well as political autonomy for the region.
The government has launched peacetalks with the rebels to
end the violence.
oil pipeline in
Warri, Delta state on Tuesday.
Niger Delta militants on Tuesday, bombed a state-run oil
pipeline near the southern port city of Warri, Delta State.
leader and army officer said. It was gathered that four
surveillance guards deployed to protect the Trans
Forcados export line narrowly escaped death after the militants
opened fire on them.
“The hoodlums after chasing them from the spot came
down from their speedboat, planted dynamite on swamp
boogie, barge, crane and on the line,” he said. Chairman
of Batan community, Dickson Ogugu told AFP that the
militants attacked the pipeline because it was undergoing
repairs.
The militants had warned oil firms not to repair any of the
pipelines it bombed. “The line which was undergoing repair
after the previous attack … was billed for commissioning
either today or tomorrow,” Ogugu said.
According to AFP, he said four surveillance guards deployed
to protect the Trans Forcados export line narrowly escaped death
after the militants opened fire on them.
“Unfortunately, only the dynamite on the barge exploded
and immediately sankinto the water. As I speak to you, the
military are at the scene of the incident trying to dismantle
the other dynamites.” he added.
An army officer, who did not want to be named, confirmed
the incident. “We heard the shots in the middle of the
night, but as you know, we do not patrol the area at night,
so there was nothing we could do,” he said. The line has been
previously targeted by rebels.
AFP further reported that last week, the line was bombed just
hours after President Muhammadu Buhari met with representatives
of militant groups in the Niger delta to discuss how to end the
unrest wracking the region.
The state-owned Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC)
operates the pipeline which receives crude from the Batan flowstation
and feeds the Forcados export terminal.
Since the start of the year, several militant groups have attacked oil
facilities, slashing the nation’s outputand hammering revenues.
The militants claim to be seeking a fair share of the nation’s oil wealth
for local residents as well as political autonomy for the region.
The government has launched peacetalks with the rebels to
end the violence.
