Militants Blow Up Another NPDC Facility in Delta State

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) yesterday blew up the Oviri-Otor trunkline in Delta State in the latest attack on oil and gas facilities in the region by militants.

The group claimed responsibility for the destruction, just 24 hours after attacking a trunk line linking the Quality Control Centre (QCC) in Ughelli.

Spokesperson for NDGJM, Aldo Agbalaja, said the attack was a message to oil companies in the region that more destruction was on the way.

The facility belongs to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Shoreline Energy International.

It was blown up at about 11pm on Friday.

In the meantime, troops of the Nigerian Navy are combing the creeks of the Niger Delta region to arrest bombers of a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Delta State.

NDGJM advised the law enforcement agencies to shun the temptation of arresting the innocent for the group’s action.

It said:”In further execution of the OPERATION HAMMURABI CODE, the Akuma Strike Team, at about 2300hour of Friday, October 14, 2016, bombed the Oviri-Ogor Delivery line to the QCC in Ughelli. This is a message to, not just SHORELINE and NPDC, the cooperators of this facility, but to all of you who own facilities in the upland area of our land and are still believing in the arms of flesh.

“This shall be the state of affairs until all of you adjust to taking our land and the lives of our people seriously. The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not kidding with anybody and anybody should not think this is just one of those coming around to beg for a morsel of bread. Start a real and genuine engagement of real grassroots leaders from the region, not the divide-and-rule pattern, and this campaign shall cease.

“We, however, want to serve a warning to the Nigerian armed forces, don’t want to use this to start going after innocent community people. If you come in contact with us, it will not be a case of arrest, but a test of arms strength; such an encounter will undoubtedly result to a fight, so be warned.”

The navy, yesterday, said it remained resolute to its commitment to rid the region of illegalities.

It vowed to apprehend the recent bombers insisting that there was no hiding place for pipeline vandals in the region.

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

Usman spoke when he led a team of medical personnel to give free medical testing and treatments to residents of Akenpai community in Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

He said the recent bombings were part of efforts by miscreants to bring disaffection between the various communities in the Niger Delta and the government.

He, however, declared that the military was now more ready to deal with all forms of illegalities.

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

“We (security men) are ready for them. Now let me sound this as a warning that any form of illegalities will not be tolerated in this region. We are looking out for them and God willing, we will catch them with the help of the communities.

“We require the support of the communities to provide us with information because they know these hoodlums. They should give us the information and we will go after them and this time whoever comes with any type of illegalities will have himself to blame.”

On the naval free medical rhapsody to host communities, the commander said it was part of the Chief of Naval Staff’s strategic directives.

He said it was designed to reach out to host communities as part of Navy’s social responsibility to help in bringing the people closer to the military.

“In doing this, we bring the communities and the military close in synergy of ridding our states of all forms of criminalities.

“And we are making it so frequent so we can cover more communities as quick as possible. I feel that is the best way to reach out to our host communities.”