Nigeria's militant group has destroyed an oil pipeline that crosses Southern Nigeria today.
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, in an emailed statement today said that it destroyed conduit in an uncommon daylight attack.If confirmed it would mark group's second attack in a 24-hour period. In recent days violence has flared across Nigeria's restive Niger Delta oil region.Nearly one quarter of Nigeria's daily production has been halt by attacks that have also shattered oil infrastructure, helping send oil prices to all time highs in international markets."Every group in region has dropped their differences and come together to fight a common enemy who has used the instrument of state and tactics of divide and rule to oppress region for five decades,'' said Jomo Gbomo MEND spokesman in a statement today.MEND threatened to make its range of attacks wider, so far concentrated in Rivers state, to other Niger Delta states and deep offshore oilfields such as Shell's Bonga and Chevron Corp.'s Agbami facilities.In a separate incidence, a naval vessel with 10 people on board was targeted by militants traveling in eight speedboats. However no naval personnel were killed in attack, said Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, a spokesman for region's joint military task force."Militants detonated dynamite, bombs and lobbed some pieces of hand grenades on facility,'' Musa said. ``It is feared that facility might have caught fire due to intense sporadic gunshots and massive dynamite and bomb explosions.''Shell officials weren't immediately available for comment.Latest attacks began on Sept. 13 when Nigerian soldiers and militants clashed in Elem-Tombia district, south of Port Harcourt, hub of Nigeria's oil industry.However militants have said troops had launched an air and marine offensive against its positions and declared an oil war targeting installations in region, which produces almost all of Nigeria's crude.While militants also clashed with soldiers near a Chevron oil field yesterday. Chevron spokesman Scott Walker said yesterday that incident near Idama oil field had no impact on production, which was already shut in for pipeline repairs. Attacks by armed groups in region have cut more than 20 percent of Nigeria's crude exports since 2006.Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, which teamed up with other militants for latest attack said, MEND first took up arms in 2004 before reaching a peace deal with government a year later.Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the leader, issued a statement with other delta militant leaders yesterday accusing military's actions in oil region.Nigeria has Africa's biggest hydrocarbon reserves, with more than 30 billion barrels of crude and 187 trillion cubic feet of gas and was continent's biggest crude exporter in July and August.West African country is the fifth biggest source of US oil imports according to Bloomberg data.Military task force charged with calming region launched a deadly attack on a militant base camp with landing craft, helicopters and airplanes on Saturday, prompting militants' declaration of fresh war against federal state on Sunday.
Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, in an emailed statement today said that it destroyed conduit in an uncommon daylight attack.If confirmed it would mark group's second attack in a 24-hour period. In recent days violence has flared across Nigeria's restive Niger Delta oil region.Nearly one quarter of Nigeria's daily production has been halt by attacks that have also shattered oil infrastructure, helping send oil prices to all time highs in international markets."Every group in region has dropped their differences and come together to fight a common enemy who has used the instrument of state and tactics of divide and rule to oppress region for five decades,'' said Jomo Gbomo MEND spokesman in a statement today.MEND threatened to make its range of attacks wider, so far concentrated in Rivers state, to other Niger Delta states and deep offshore oilfields such as Shell's Bonga and Chevron Corp.'s Agbami facilities.In a separate incidence, a naval vessel with 10 people on board was targeted by militants traveling in eight speedboats. However no naval personnel were killed in attack, said Lieutenant-Colonel Sagir Musa, a spokesman for region's joint military task force."Militants detonated dynamite, bombs and lobbed some pieces of hand grenades on facility,'' Musa said. ``It is feared that facility might have caught fire due to intense sporadic gunshots and massive dynamite and bomb explosions.''Shell officials weren't immediately available for comment.Latest attacks began on Sept. 13 when Nigerian soldiers and militants clashed in Elem-Tombia district, south of Port Harcourt, hub of Nigeria's oil industry.However militants have said troops had launched an air and marine offensive against its positions and declared an oil war targeting installations in region, which produces almost all of Nigeria's crude.While militants also clashed with soldiers near a Chevron oil field yesterday. Chevron spokesman Scott Walker said yesterday that incident near Idama oil field had no impact on production, which was already shut in for pipeline repairs. Attacks by armed groups in region have cut more than 20 percent of Nigeria's crude exports since 2006.Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force, which teamed up with other militants for latest attack said, MEND first took up arms in 2004 before reaching a peace deal with government a year later.Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, the leader, issued a statement with other delta militant leaders yesterday accusing military's actions in oil region.Nigeria has Africa's biggest hydrocarbon reserves, with more than 30 billion barrels of crude and 187 trillion cubic feet of gas and was continent's biggest crude exporter in July and August.West African country is the fifth biggest source of US oil imports according to Bloomberg data.Military task force charged with calming region launched a deadly attack on a militant base camp with landing craft, helicopters and airplanes on Saturday, prompting militants' declaration of fresh war against federal state on Sunday.
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