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Tag: militants attack

  • Militants attack another NPDC facility in Delta

    Militants attack another NPDC facility in Delta

    •Navy begins manhunt 

    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.”

     

  • Militants attack another oil facility in Delta

    Militants attack another oil facility in Delta

    The attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta area continued yesterday, with the claim by the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM) that  it had destroyed another major oil facility in Delta State, and threatening that it had initiated an operation that would uproot oil and gas facilities in the upland part of the oil-rich region.

    In a statement circulated by its spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, the group accused the oil multinationals operating in the upland part of the region of engaging in divide and rule tactics to weaken the resolve of the people of the region, warning that it was ready to take on both the government and the oil companies to protect the resources.

    According to the statement, the group raised a new team, which carried out the attack on the Iwhremaro to the Quality Control Centre (QCC) delivery line at about 9pm on Thursday. The statement, however, did not specify the community or council area where the attack was carried out.

    The statement, targeted against the Federal Government and some oil companies, warned the oil companies against restarting the Trans-Focardos Pipeline (TFP), which it claimed had been out of use.

    “At about 2100hours of Thursday, October 13, 2016, the Akuma Strike Team of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate brought down the Iwhremaro to the Quality Control (QCC) Delivery Line to signal the commencement of the Operation Hammurabi Code. More to come in the coming days.

    “We have been patient and reasonable all along, hence our choice to restrict our activities to mild operations that were not aimed at causing critical damages, but it has now become crystal clear that we are dealing with devious and incorrigible people.

    “Therefore, we serve this as a notice to the Nigerian government and its conniving multinationals that the Operation Hammurabi Code has been initiated, henceforth, it shall be an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. Now you shall know what uprooting of your cherished assets means. It starts from now on, there is no longer going to be warnings or special consideration for anybody.

    “We have observed that the leopard of the oil company is incapable of changing its skin; ever deceiving, ever conniving. Your ‘divide-and-rule’ gimmick will fail here as we will not stay idle in the face of your lies. For every lie you introduce, you will lose a major asset and if need be, you will lose personnel. We have said it once and we shall repeat it here now; the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate will not call this campaign off in secret, when we see reason to do so and we decide to do so, we shall reach the world publicly through this same channel, from where we took off. Attempts to deceive and frame in the name of this mandate will not work.

    “When we see a sincere and positive engagement, which we consider to be reasonable enough, we shall announce it to the world and follow it up with an announcement of our next line of action, but for now, there has been no engagement whatsoever and the gimmicks now being employed to deceive shall be thoroughly punished.

    “We are aware that majority of the assets in the upland in Delta state are down and we are also aware that you are planning on opening production and get these facilities running after you must have finished with bringing the TFP back on stream.

    “First Hydrocarbon, Shoreline, N.D Western, N.P.D.C and others, we dare you to open those facilities and see what will happen. We had been slow to action because we knew there were no activities running on the facilities, we will only leave you to the imagination of what is pending when you dare the resolve of the Niger Delta people and get the facilities back to operation,” the statement warned.

  • Militants attack another oil facility in Delta

    Militants attack another oil facility in Delta

    A militant group, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), has attacked the Unenurhie-Evwreni delivery line belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

    In an electronic statement by its spokesman Aldo Agbalaja, NDGJM said the attack on the oil facility, which is located between Ughelli North and Ughelli South local government areas of Delta State, was carried out by its strike team at 1 a.m yesterday.

    The group threatened to continue its attacks on oil and gas companies in the region.

    The statement reads: “As a mark of our commitment to a just cause and to prove to the wicked and ungrateful multinational oil companies and their Nigerian military allies who have been forcefully taking our natural endowment without any visible returns that we own our lands, the Opudo Strike Team of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, at 0100 hour (1 a.m) on September 29 (yesterday), bombed the Unenurhie-Evwreni delivery line in Ughelli South/North, operated by NPDC.

    “We want to assure oil multinational companies that we are determined to end their operations in our land, and this we shall if they fail to show the will to change their relationship with our people and their operational attitude in our land.

    “For the avoidance of doubts, we want to say here, categorically, that no amount of military protection or presence can stop this whirlpool; no amount of shoddily arranged military operation can quell the will of our gallant army. The same way their Operation Crocodile Smile was sunken by our Operation Crocodile Tears is how all their schemes against our land and people will continue to be defeated.

    “Like we have said, this will only stop when you turn a new leave, adopt a sincere attitude, give back to our people what naturally should be theirs, advise the government rightly and stop thinking there’s an army to protect you from justice. Do these and all that you know are good. If you do these, be assured to have a good relationship with our people and real protection for your personnel and assets across our land.”

  • Militants’ attack: Ogun urges residents to be calm

    THE Ogun State government has appealed to residents of the state, particularly those in the communities invaded by suspected militants, to remain calm.

    It pledged that no stone would be left unturned to end the onslaught, which it described as “a threat to the peace the state is noted for”.

    A statement by Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led administration noted “with deep regret the recent and unfortunate invasions of some of its communities by suspected militants who wreaked havoc on residents and national assets in the areas”.

    It added: “The affected communities are Ibafo, Arepo, Ebute Ibafo, Elepete and Kajola towns in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area.

    “Government views these invasions as a direct attack on it and will confront it with every available force.

    “Towards this end, we are already collaborating with security agencies to unravel the causes and bring those behind this mindless destruction of lives and property to justice.

    “We are not only determined to apprehend and bring the perpetrators to book alone, ultimately our resolve is to forestall these unwarranted attacks on our people.

    “We further assure residents that we will not relent in our efforts and will not spare undesirable elements threatening the peace we have enjoyed over time.

    “We also want to use this opportunity to appeal to residents, royal fathers and opinion leaders to be vigilant and report all suspicious movements or gatherings to the security agencies.”

     

     

  • Police to Lagosians: ignore rumour of militants attack

    Police to Lagosians: ignore rumour of militants attack

    Commissioner denies killings 

    Lagosians were yesterday told to ignore rumours of threats to security of lives and property.

    The police assured residents of the nation’s commercial nerve centre that the fears of an attack on the city by militants, especially the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), were unfounded.

    The militants are behind the renewed attacks on pipelines and oil platforms in the Niger Delta – activities that have dipped Nigeria’s 2.2million barrels of crude per day production to about 900,000.

    Fears were rife that the group’s threat to extend its attacks to Lagos were to be carried out. But Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni said the city is safe.

    He described as a “mere rumour” the insinuation that the NDA was planning to bomb the Ikorodu  Police Station, the Atlas Cove, the Third Mainland Bridge and  other targets.

    A huge deployment of policemen in Ikorodu also reinforced the rumour that an attack was likely.

    But Owoseni, who assured residents of their safety, said security agencies have been on their toes to avert any such threat.

    He added that police officers were stationed at Ikorodu because there was an ongoing operation in the town to dislodge criminals.

    Owoseni said: “Just as you heard it as a rumour, so I also heard it as a rumour. It is a mere rumour and there is no truth in the rumour. It is just like the rumour we received that the Third Mainland Bridge will be no more on May 29.

    “Here we are, the Third Mainland Bridge is still standing. Reports we got about Ikorodu are cases of cultists and the police have arrested about 200 suspects. They are being screened. Security agents are on their toes there. There is overwhelming presence of policemen because there is a tactical operation going on there since last week.

    “Ikorodu has been sectioned into four tactical operations points, which are manned between 5am and 9pm.

    “In fact, the report at our disposal now is that some of the militants who used the waterways to commit heinous crimes, like kidnapping and armed robbery have been relocating.

    “There is no threat of bombing of a police station at Ikorodu. However, plain-clothe policemen, officials of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) are on ground and on top of the situation. People should be careful where they go,” he said.

    Owoseni debunked accusations of extrajudicial killings against the police, insisting that armed robbery and kidnapping suspects arrested since August have been charged to court.

    According to him, the command has in court 163 armed robbery cases involving 308 suspects. Two kidnap cases with six suspects have also been charged to court since August, last year.

    “We are saying this because of the impression being created. It is not true that we have been killing armed robbery and kidnapping suspects in our custody.

    “It is also not true that we have been covering up our personnel who are found wanting. I can tell you that between July 2015 and last April, 136 policemen have either been queried or charged in orderly room for misconduct.

    “Those bothering on criminality were immediately arraigned. We have been taking policemen through reorientation at the Police College. Over 850 personnel have already attended the courses and we are on the 13th batch,” Owoseni said.