….Group condemns acts
Two days after it resumed its deadly attacks, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)
has confirmed blowing up more oil facilities in Warri, the commercial
nerve center of Delta State, late Monday night.
Spokesperson, Brig Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, confirmed the fresh attacks on
NDA’s website on Tuesday.
The statement said: “At 10pm Niger Delta Avengers blow up Chevron Well 10
close to Otunana flowstation.
“Other attacks were carried out at 11:15pm Niger Delta Avengers blow up
NPDC Manifold close to Banta and two PPMC/NNPC crude oil trunk Lines.”
It was gathered that facilities attacked were two manifolds, operated by
the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) at Batan community in Warri
South West Council Area of the state.
Also destroyed were two crude oil trunk lines, facilities of the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Well 10 operated by Chevron
Nigeria Limited (CNL) at Makaraba village in Gbaramatu Kingdom.
The group confirmed that the coordinated incidents took place at about
10:35pm and 11:20 late Monday night.
Military and local sources confirmed the attacks , but the officials of
the oil firms were not ready to react to the dastard acts by Avengers.
Meanwhile, Condemnations have continued to trail the weekend bombings of
five oil and gas installation by the rampaging Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)
after a lull in their nefarious activities.
A foremost Non-Governmental Organization, Center for Peace and
Environmental Justice (CEPEJ), has joined the league of Nigerians and
organizations to condemn the dastard acts which have upended the gains
recorded in recent weeks.
This is contained in a statement signed by its Coordinator, Comrade
Sheriff Mulade, stating that the continued bombings of oil and gas
facilities was ill-wind that does the region no good rather it was
adversely affecting the environment and slowing down the economy.
The NGO reiterated its appeal to the Avengers to sheathe its swords and
allow peace to reign as no development can take place in an environment
wracked by conflicts.
Besides, the Center appealed to the federal government to go ahead with
the proposed peace talks, but cautioned against engaging the militants in
the peace parley, suggesting rather that critical stakeholders should be
identified and engaged by the government; otherwise government would
create more rooms for other pseudo groups to emerge.
‘’If the government wants to truly resolve the issues, it should involve
critical leaders and not political stakeholders; otherwise it will be
another jamboree and failed attempts. The fundamental issues are clear:
the people of the Niger Delta need development and remediation of their
environment which has been devastated by years of oil and gas exploration
and exploitative activities.
‘’The politicians are the beneficiaries of the system. When they are
fraternizing with the militants on one hand, they want to end militancy on
the other. That is why we said the government should not make it a
political talk, rather Niger Delta stakeholders at the grassroots should
be involved’’.
The group warned that the Dialogue Committee constituted by the Federal
Government should not be seen as a diversionary ploy, explaining that
weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari announced the composition of the
committee, nothing concrete has happened.