An unidentified militant group in Delta State today blew up pipelines belonging to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Ighwrenene town in Ughelli North local government area. The blown up pipeline caused a severe explosion in the area.

A few residents of the area told SaharaReporters that the militant group blew up the pipelines to protest the Federal Government’s continued refusal to hire its members to provide surveillance services over all the pipelines in the area.

A young man in the area, who identified himself as one of the militants who torched the pipeline, warned that the government had seen nothing yet. “This is only the beginning of wahala [trouble],” said the man, who refused to disclose his name.

“This is the second explosion. There will be third one. Then the government will know that, yes, this is not a child's play,” he continued. Then he added: “President Muhammadu Buhari must give the [contract for the] guarding of the pipelines to the youths. If not—well, let me stop there first.”

Our correspondent reported that the explosion, which is the second attack on the same pipeline in recent times, occurred around 1:00 a.m.

Due to the treacherous terrain, a SaharaReporters correspondent who visited the area was unable to gain access to the scene of the explosion. The correspondent encountered some security agents, NPDC officials, and Delta State firefighters who were trying to secure the flooded road. The officials warned the reporter to refrain from taking photos of the area.

Speaking to our correspondent, some residents of Ighwrenene decried the absence of proper vigilance of the pipelines. They urged the state and federal governments to make arrangements for proper surveillance of the pipelines to prevent any future breaches and explosions caused by the activities of militant groups or vandals.

One of the residents, Julius Oghenejovwo, called on both the state and federal governments to consider the recruitment of locals to assist in guarding all the pipelines in the areas.

Speaking with a SaharaReporters correspondence, a staff of the fire department of the NPDC disclosed that a similar explosion also occurred Thursday at Ubeji in Warri South local government area of Bayelsa State.

He revealed that the NPDC was making efforts to switch off the flow of oil through the affected pipelines. “Until we succeed in cutting of oil from the pipeline, we remain helpless in our attempt to gain access to the point of explosion. The road leading to the place is flooded, and that has made the travel impossible,” he said.

As at the time of filing this report, no group or groups had officially claimed responsibility for the explosion. However, an explosion that rocked a flow station three months ago was attributed to a militant group known as the Urhobo Gbagbako.

SaharaReporters learned that the group had threatened to carry out more pipeline explosions if the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration rejected its demand to be awarded a pipeline surveillance contract.

In the dying days of his administration, former President Goodluck Jonathan had awarded lucrative pipeline surveillance contracts to several leaders of militant groups in the Niger Delta and southwest. Mr. Jonathan’s political opponents accused him of setting a dangerous precedent by awarding surveillance contracts to ill-equipped militant groups whose major figures merely saw the contracts as cash cows. The former president reportedly handed the surveillance contracts to the erstwhile militant henchmen in order to secure their political support for his reelection.

It is unclear whether President Buhari would renew the surveillance contracts or accede to pressure by other militant groups to secure such contracts.

Abugab:
And we will call this retaliation na.
Let them blow up everything in the Niger Delta and see who suffers the effect.
When the North starts exploring the oil and the chad basin, the solid minerals in nassarawa and their food stuff, we shall know who will suffer it.

virus05:
and army men dey guard am??.. Oya wey d chest beaters.. una neva see anytin

1toRtoiSe1:

An unidentified militant group in Delta
State today blew up pipelines belonging to
the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company
(NPDC) at Ighwrenene town in Ughelli North
local government area. The blown up pipeline
caused a severe explosion in the area.

A few residents of the area told SaharaReporters
that the militant group blew up the pipelines to
protest the Federal Government’s continued
refusal to hire its members to provide
surveillance services over all the pipelines in the
area.
A young man in the area, who identified himself
as one of the militants who torched the pipeline,
warned that the government had seen nothing
yet. “This is only the beginning of wahala
[trouble],” said the man, who refused to disclose
his name.
“This is the second explosion. There will be third
one. Then the government will know that, yes,
this is not a child's play,” he continued. Then he
added: “President Muhammadu Buhari must
give the [contract for the] guarding of the
pipelines to the youths. If not—well, let me stop
there first.”
Our correspondent reported that the explosion,
which is the second attack on the same pipeline
in recent times, occurred around 1:00 a.m.
Due to the treacherous terrain, a
SaharaReporters correspondent who visited the
area was unable to gain access to the scene of
the explosion. The correspondent encountered
some security agents, NPDC officials, and Delta
State firefighters who were trying to secure the
flooded road. The officials warned the reporter
to refrain from taking photos of the area.
Speaking to our correspondent, some residents
of Ighwrenene decried the absence of proper
vigilance of the pipelines. They urged the state
and federal governments to make arrangements
for proper surveillance of the pipelines to
prevent any future breaches and explosions
caused by the activities of militant groups or
vandals.
One of the residents, Julius Oghenejovwo, called
on both the state and federal governments to
consider the recruitment of locals to assist in
guarding all the pipelines in the areas.
Speaking with a SaharaReporters
correspondence, a staff of the fire department of
the NPDC disclosed that a similar explosion also
occurred Thursday at Ubeji in Warri South local
government area of Bayelsa State.
He revealed that the NPDC was making efforts to
switch off the flow of oil through the affected
pipelines. “Until we succeed in cutting of oil from
the pipeline, we remain helpless in our attempt
to gain access to the point of explosion. The
road leading to the place is flooded, and that has
made the travel impossible,” he said.
As at the time of filing this report, no group or
groups had officially claimed responsibility for
the explosion. However, an explosion that
rocked a flow station three months ago was
attributed to a militant group known as
the Urhobo Gbagbako.
SaharaReporters learned that the group had
threatened to carry out more pipeline explosions
if the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration
rejected its demand to be awarded a pipeline
surveillance contract.
In the dying days of his administration, former
President Goodluck Jonathan had awarded
lucrative pipeline surveillance contracts to
several leaders of militant groups in the Niger
Delta and southwest. Mr. Jonathan’s political
opponents accused him of setting a dangerous
precedent by awarding surveillance contracts to
ill-equipped militant groups whose major figures
merely saw the contracts as cash cows. The
former president reportedly handed the
surveillance contracts to the erstwhile militant
henchmen in order to secure their political
support for his reelection.
It is unclear whether President Buhari would
renew the surveillance contracts or accede to
pressure by other militant groups to secure such contracts.



www.saharareporters.com/2015/07/23/militants-blow-npdc-oil-pipeline-over-surveillance-contract-dispute

Abugab:
And we will call this retaliation na.
Let them blow up everything in the Niger Delta and see who suffers the effect.
When the North starts exploring the oil and the chad basin, the solid minerals in nassarawa and their food stuff, we shall know who will suffer it.

abagoro:



Just like I predicted blowing up pipeline means the water in the area will be polluted as well as farmlands. People in Ogun and Lagos will continue life as usual. Now if military force is used against the village, many youths will lose their lives and village destroyed. Next women and Children run to a camp at Asaba.

What has been achieved, Nothing

nigerianvenom:


"When the north",it has become u people's anthem for decades.
U guys should thank God for south south,the would have bin no difference between u guys and those from Niger Republic.

virus05:
stop assuming