There seems to be no end in sight towards finding a lasting solution to the crisis in the Niger Delta region as a new militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate claimed on Wednesday that it breached a major trunk/delivery pipeline to Eriemu manifold in Urhoboland belonging to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Shoreline Resources.
The militant group, which claims to be agitating for the people of upland that are host communities to oil facilities, said they had been left out of previous negotiations between the Federal Government and riverine communities hosts to same facilities in the past.
The group had announced its emergence on Tuesday with a 48 hours unltimatum to all the oil multinationals still in the upland of the region – AGIP, TOTAL, SHELL, MOBIL, SHORELINES, NECONDE, E.D WESTERN, SEPLAT and others – to evacuate their personnel from the region, especially in the Ogba/Egi axis of Rivers state, Urhobo/Isoko/Ndokwa axis of Delta state and other upland oil producing areas.
It also threatened to blow up Warri and Porthacourt refineries as well as Utorogun gas plants in Ughelli South Local Government area of Delta State.
To establish its seriousness, the militant group claimed that it brought down a major trunk/delivery line from Isoko to Eriemo manifold in Urhobo at about 2 p.m.
“As a mark of our seriousness and to prove we are people of our words, at about 0200hours of today; Wednesday, August 10, 2016, operatives of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate brought down a MAJOR TRUNK/DELIVERY LINE from Isoko to the Eriemu Manifold in Urhobo, belonging to the NPDC/Shoreline Resources”, it claimed.
In a statement titled “Operation Zero” and signed by its spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, the group said: “One down and countless more to go”
“The Central Operations Command of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate hereby announces the commencement of demolition and evacuation of the uplands tagged “OPERATION ZERO” to correct the wrongs that have afflicted our people for years, seek justice for the perpetually cheated and protect the identities of our people, who are co-owners of the wealth which Nigeria has forever misappropriated”, it added.
The group warned operatives of the asset NPDC/Shorelines not to effect any repairs on the breached trunkline until signals were given or else their personnel will be exposed to dangers.
“We would also want to use this medium to give a very strong warning to the operatives of the asset NPDC/SHORELINES not to commence repairs pending when they get signals from us; otherwise the inevitable may occur to their personnel as we have earlier warned them to begin evacuating the uplands”, it warned. Courtesy: This Day.