Niger Delta violence: Avengers blow up NNPC pipeline as peace talks fail to begin
Niger Delta Avengers Did not Blow Up Any Pipeline in Akwa Ibom – Police
By Ludovica Iaccino June 16, 2016 09:44 BST
Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari plans talks with Delta leaders amid increasing pipeline attacks IBTimes UK
A militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta region has claimed responsibility for an attack at an oil pipeline owned by the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) took to Twitter to confirm it blew up an NNPC-owned pipeline in Oruk Anam Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State.
The attack in the early hours of Thursday (16 June) was carried out days after the group agreed to start a dialogue with the government to find a solution to renewed violence in the area.
The motive behind the latest attack is not yet clear. However, the group said the federal government must meet its demands before a "genuine" dialogue can take place.
Among other things, NDA urged the military to leave the restive south-east and the federal government "to commit member states of the multinational Oil Corporations to commit independent mediators to this proposed dialogue".
Earlier in June, Nigeria announced it would scale back its military presence in the Niger Delta in order to foster dialogue with militants. However, on Wednesday 15 June, the Ijaw People Development Initiative (IPDI) group, based in Delta State, alleged the government was not serious about a dialogue as soldiers kept "invading communities".
Attacks blamed on NDA forced Chevron and Royal Dutch Shell to close two plants, with the group vowing to bring the country's oil production down "to zero".
Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, has already been negatively affected by renewed violence in the area as oil production has dropped to 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), from 2.2 million bpd.
Fighters of the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (Mend) prepare for an operation against the Nigerian army in Niger Delta in September 2008GettyThe birth of militant groups in Niger Delta
NDA is the latest militant organisation to wage war against Nigeria due to perceived marginalisation in the Niger Delta.
On 12 June, former militant Government Ekpemupolo, or "Tompolo" as he is also known, urged NDA to engage in talks with the government. However, Tompolo, chief commander of the Movement For The Emancipation Of The Niger Delta (Mend), is suspected of being behind NDA, which some analysts believe is simply Mend with a new name.
Militant groups in the oil-rich Niger Delta region took hold in the early 2000s following the deterioration of people's living conditions blamed on the increase of oil-related activities by foreign exploration corporations. Tensions flared up in the local communities as some ethnic groups felt they were being exploited and did not benefit from the crude oil on their land.
The repeated oil spills that considerably damaged the environment and affected people's health further deepened the communities' frustrations. After being elected in 2015, Buhari extended a 2009 amnesty granted to 30,000 former militants in the area.
------------/////////////////---------
Militancy: Niger Delta Avengers Did not Blow Up Any Pipeline in Akwa Ibom – Police
16.06.2016 at 4:15 pm By NAN
Militants
The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Murtala Mani, on Thursday refuted an alleged explosion of pipelines at Ikot Osutek, Oruk-Anam Local Government Area of the state by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).
The NDA in a tweet said that they had blown up the NNPC Pipeline at about 4AM on Thursday.
Mani told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo that the alleged vandalism was an accident caused by a leakage in the gas pipelines.
He said that it was a technical problem and that some engineers from Port Harcourt were working to rectify the leakage.
Mani said that the state was safe from the activities of the militant group.
NAN reports that the gas pipelines are owned by Seven Energy Company, the operator of Ibom Gas Power Plant, Uquo in Esit-Eket Local Government Area of the state.
Ikot Osutek community, the location of the gas pipelines, is along Ikot Abasi-Ogoni-Port Harcourt axis of the East-West Road in Akwa Ibom.
NAN further reports that many residents of the state were disturbed by the alleged attack, due to the revelation that the militant group had vandalised 23 gas pipelines since February 14 when it started attacks.