Niger Delta Avengers threaten secession, another pipeline bombed

Militants in the Niger Delta have again underlined their disinterest in the offer of dialogue by the Nigerian government with another attack on an oil facility in the region. Last night, a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, was bombed.

Sources say the incident happened around 7:40pm, near the Shalomi Creek in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. It was gathered that the exact location of the pipeline was within Kurutie community, the home base of Chief Government Ekpemupolo’s (Tompolo) father.

Multiple security sources confirmed the attack. None of the militant group has claimed responsibility. However, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) had earlier yesterday threatened to secede from the country, citing the unfairness of successive governments to the people of the Niger Delta region.

NDA said that what Niger Deltans asked from successive governments in Nigeria was simply the provision of basic amenities and inclusiveness.

The group warned the international community, especially Britain, France, United States, Russia and China not to allow the region to go the way of Sudan.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Murdoch Agbinibo, the NDA regretted that all that successive governments were interested in was the flow of crude oil from the region and not its development.

The group vowed to remedy the age-long devastation of the region by every means necessary.

“Since the amalgamation of Nigeria in 1914 to date, our resources have been used to sustain the political administrative live-wire of Nigeria to the exclusion of the Niger Delta.

“Finally, we are calling on the international community to come and support the restoration of our right to peaceful self-determination from this tragedy of 1914 that has expired since 2014.

 “We want our resources back to restore the essence of human life in our region for generations to come because Nigeria has failed to do that. The world should not wait until we go the Sudan way. Enough is enough.

“This history of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct with every means necessary. We have nothing to lose in the battle ahead.”

The group added, “Justice, they say, is only found within the structure of a nation state; rather than provide justice, the Nigerian government has decided to mobilise her military might to intimidate, torture, maim, victimise and bombard a section of the nation and her citizenry to allow the free flow of our oil.

“Since the day crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity and quality in Oloibiri in the present day Bayelsa State, what we have being asking from successive governments in Nigeria is potable drinking water, electricity, roads, employment, quality education, resource control and inclusive governance.”

The threat of secession comes only after after an optimistic Federal Government announced to the Nation that it has set up a committee to negotiate with the militants. And showed its seriousness by withdrawing troops who had been sent to the region to “crush” the militants.