The Niger Delta Avengers again on Monday night blew up two manifolds operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company at Batan community in the Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State. Also two other trunk lines, owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in the area, were also destroyed. An oil well, operated by Chevron Nigeria Limited at the Makaraba village of Gbaramatu Kingdom, was also damaged last night. It was identified as Chevron well 10 by sources.
Military and community sources confirmed the attacks to the Punch on Tuesday.
Community sources said the attacked NPDC manifold was a few metres away from Batan Flow Station, also owned by the company.
It was learnt that a loud explosion accompanied the attack on the manifold before two separate explosions hit the NNPC pipelines supplying crude to the Warri and Kaduna refineries.
The crude produced at the flow station goes through the manifolds to Forcados Terminal in the Burutu Local Government Area of the state.
Military sources confirmed the attacks, saying that the Trans-Forcados Pipelines were major trunk lines feeding the Shell Forcados with crude.
Batan community chairman, Mr. Ogudu Dickson, also confirmed the attack.
He said the people of the area were terrified because they had not heard such heavy explosions since militancy resumed in the area.
Dickson himted that his people are endangered as fire could break out anytime because of the huge spill in the creeks as a result of Sunday and Monday night attacks.
According to him, some residents have fled to Warri and other neighbouring communities in search of safety.
The attacked Chevron oil well, NPDC’s manifolds and the affected trunk lines, it was gathered, have been shut down by their operators.
The spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, Celestina Kalu, confirmed the attacks when contacted but said that the extent of the damage was yet to be ascertained.
Niger Delta Avengers spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, in a statement posted on the group’s website, confirmed the attacks.
Part of the statement said, “At 10pm, Niger Delta Avengers blew up Chevron Well 10, close to Otunana flow station.
“Other attacks were carried out at 11.15pm. Niger Delta Avengers blew up the NPDC Manifold, close to Banta and the two PPMC/NNPC crude oil trunk Lines.”
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