The Niger Delta Avengers have boasted that they were able to blow up some oil installations in the region despite the presence of the Nigeria soldiers deployed to fight them.
They said that the attacks were in keeping with its warning that the international oil company should not attempt to fix its strategic pipeline at Abitiye area which the group had blown up recently.
The NDA said that it successfully carried out the bombing of the pipeline despite the fact that the facility was heavily guided by military personnel.
The group said that the reported meeting of Niger-Delta stakeholders meeting held last Wednesday in Abuja was as an insult to the sensibility of the people of the Niger Delta region, which it said needed independence from the Nigerian federation.
The militants said that they were infuriated by talks of the federal government offering the region palliatives including contracts to carry out surveillance of pipelines in the region against vandalism and crude theft.
“The Niger Delta stakeholders’ meeting is an insult to the people of the Niger Delta. What we need is a sovereign state, not pipeline contracts.”
They warned via the NDA Tweeter handle: “To the International Oil Companies, IOCs and the Nigeria military, watch out! Something big is about to happen and it would shock the whole world.”
The NDA has also rejected the idea of dialogue, pointing out that it was out to secure self-rule for the Niger Delta people, describing the stakeholders’ meeting as an insult to the people of the oil-rich region, threatening more devious actions.
Although there was no official security confirmation of the incident, as none of the top security operatives who could make comments on it were unavailable but a reliable senior naval officer confirmed that an explosion had been recorded close to Egwa 1 area, which the oil fields Batan community is located.
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta), Warri, Commodore Raimi Mohammed refused to speak on the matter.
Meanwhile, disturbed by the resurgence of militancy in the Niger Delta, the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization: IjawNational Congress (INC), has embarked on consultations with Ijaw leaders, youth groups and various associations across 78 Ijaw clans within and outside the region. [myad]