Four Arrested: Militants Blow Up Pipeline

Niger Delta militant

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has blown up another crude oil facility barely 24 hours after it attacked a delivery line at Iwhremaro connecting the Quality Control Centre operated by the
Nigerian Petroleum Development Company Limited in Ughelli, Delta State.

The fresh attack was carried out by the Akuma Strike Team of the militant group on Friday at 11pm on the Oviri-Ogor delivery line in continuation of the group’s Operation Hammurabi Code launched on Thursday.

Spokesman of the militant group, Aldo Agbalaja, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued on Saturday.

A community leader and military sources who spoke separately to our correspondent confirmed the attack.

The militant group warned of fresh attacks if the Federal Government refused to meaningfully hold talks with the Niger Delta leaders on how to end the sufferings in the region.

It stated, “In further execution of the Operation Hammurabi Code, the Akuma Strike Team, at about 2300 hours on Friday, October 14, 2016, bombed the Oviri-Ogor delivery line linked to the QCC in Ughelli.

“This is a message to, not just NPDC and the cooperators of this facility, but also to all of those who own facilities in the upland area of the region and still believe in the arms of flesh. This shall be the state of affairs until you all take our land and the lives of our people seriously.’’

The group added in the statement that it was not joking with anybody and none should think it was one of those begging for a morsel of bread. “Start a real and genuine engagement with the real grass-root leaders from the region, not the divide-and-rule pattern, and this attack shall cease,” the statement read.

It also warned the Army to stop arresting innocent youths in the region, saying they were not responsible for the bombing of oil facilities.

Spokesperson for the Operation Delta Safe, Lt-Cdr. Thomas Otuji, confirmed Thursday and Friday’s attacks on the oil facilities by the militant group.

Otuji disclosed that four persons suspected to be members of the militant group were arrested in connection with Thursday’s attack.

  Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has vowed to rid the Niger Delta of illegal activities.

The warning came on the heels of the recent destruction of oil facilities in Delta State by the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate.

The Commander, Nigeria Naval Ship Soroh, Commodore Habib Usman, said on Saturday that the military was ready to deal with the hoodlums.

Usman stated this when he led a team of medical personnel to offer free medical treatment to residents of Akenpai community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

Usman said, “The recent bombings we are experiencing are part of the ways miscreants are trying to cause disaffection between the various communities and the government.

“We are ready for them. Any form of illegality will not be tolerated in the region. We are looking out for them and God willing, we will catch them with the help of the communities.

On the ‘free medical rhapsody’ to host communities, the commander said it was part of the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic directive to reach out to their host communities as its social responsibility and to bring the people closer to the military.