[b]By Emma Amaize

Attacks on oil installations in Delta State entered the third day, yesterday, as militants blew-up major crude oil and gas pipelines to the Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, Tank Farm in Warri South West Local Government Area of the state.

Blown up on Friday night was the main crude line from Makaraba through Otunana and Abiteye to Escravos while Olero to Escravos gas line was attacked in the early hours of yesterday.

Earlier on Thursday, the Escravos – Warri – Abuja – Lagos pipelines came under attack. The Itsekiri raised the alarm, yesterday, that the attacks could metamorphose into another Ijaw-Itsekiri war.
File...MilitantsFile…Militants

These acts of sabotage are coming at a time when global crude oil price continues its downward move.

THE military, yesterday, deployed army and naval personnel in the creeks of Delta State to contain the militants.

Our source, who spoke from one of the Ijaw communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, at about 5.30 pm said, “The situation is not clear yet, but there are gunboats everywhere. It is a combined team of soldiers and navy people patrolling the creeks.

“Movement is restricted. The military personnel are going about to show their presence and scare the militants, who strike in the night and not in the daytime. But, at least, their presence has shown that the military was ready to confront them.”

The authorities, caught napping by the resumption of hostilities four days ago, reportedly saw the danger of allowing further bombings and mobilised to counter the militants.

After bombing the Escravos-Warri-Abuja-Lagos pipelines at about 10.00 pm on Thursday, the militants were emboldened to blow up Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL’s Utunana –Makaraba crude oil line at 10.30 pm on Friday and proceeded to bomb Olero gas line in the early hours of yesterday.

Their target it is believed is to cripple crude oil production and arm-twist the Federal Government. Already, CNL, heavily hit by the Thursday and Friday attacks, was considering shutting down operations, even as workers have been restricted to their camps in the affected locations.



The Itsekiri fear

Chair, Itsekiri Regional Development Council, IRDC, Chief Ayiri Emami, expressed concern, yesterday, that with attacks targeted at oil facilities in Itsekiri towns and villages, it might metamorphose into another Ijaw/Itsekiri war.

He said those carrying out the attacks were Ijaw militants known to the security agencies, state and federal governments, and challenged them to rein in the gunmen.

Meanwhile, ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, maintained, yesterday, that he had no hands in the bombings. His media adviser, Paul Bebenimibo, told Sunday Vanguard: “Tompolo has nothing to do with the ongoing attacks.”

Emami, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard on phone, said, “The situation right now is unpredictable. This was how the Itsekiri and Ijaw crisis started in 2003 and 2007. Government and security agencies know the person blowing up the pipelines and his boys, they cannot say that that they do not know them. I do not see how the entire local government area should be put on edge because of one person and his selfish interests.”

He went on “We are concerned because they have left their areas to bomb oil facilities in Itsekiri areas of Dibi, Abiteye and Kpokpo and the next thing now; they want to bomb Itsekiri villages. They started on Thursday night; government and security agents are looking at them, so they continued again on Friday night.

“Probably, they will continue again on Saturday night. That is why we are calling on government to stop them because we know their plan. They want to make this place ungovernable, but we will not fold our arms and watch them.

“It is the same set of boys who blew up the Escravos-Warri-Lagos-Abuja gas pipeline that they sent to blow up Chevron pipelines. They have been holding nocturnal meetings on where to bomb in the last few days.”

Last night, on industry source told Sunday Vanguard that CNL and other oil companies in the riverside areas of Delta State were on the verge of shutting operations out of fear of the unknown.

‘Tompolo stepped on toes’

Also, yesterday, the Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group, WIPMG, Warri, Delta State, said Ekpemupolo stepped on powerful toes while executing his contract to protect gvernment oil installations and the forces have now coalesced against him.

The group, in a statement by its chair, Chief Patrick Bigha, condemning the bombing of crude oil and gas pipelines in Warri in the last few days, said the involvement of All Progressives Congress, APC chieftains in Bayelsa state, who are out to spite Tompolo should not be ruled out.

It said: “The Warri Ijaw Peace Monitoring Group wishes to condemn the renewed wanton destruction of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region. We are truly disturbed with this happening as the Nigerian economy is in a bad shape; therefore, we are calling on those behind this act to cease hostilities immediately.

“We are not happy over the incident as it look like a smear campaign against the person of High Chief Government Ekpemupolo,because of his position in the Bayelsa State governorship election as well as the issue with the EFCC, which is a legal issue that will be appropriately addressed.

“It is worthy of note that Tompolo will not embark on such self destructive mission as one that fervently believes in the Nigeria project, and has contributed to peace building and development of Nigeria.”[/b]

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/return-of-n-delta-militancy-major-crude-oil-gas-pipelines-bombed/

cc, lalasticlala

Tompolo pls call ur boys to order ooo

Buu buu is in trouble oh!

this Niger Delta people sha. Only God can help them. Blowing up their communities without realizing they are bearing the primary burden. Please God, give them sense.

[size=15pt]LadyF[/size] is here again

The last two paragraph summarised the whole story. Tompolo didn't recognised some Top militants in his contract and they are all out to put him in more hot soup now that the feds are all out to try him..

IAMLOOSEWEIGHT

Buhari is about to set Zoogeria ablaze with his dinasourial style of leadership laced with trial-and-error

When some of us used to say in this forum that, yes the minority can only have their say while the majority will always have their way, but that that small, inconsequential and whisper of the minority in the nation called Nigeria should be respected and considered important based on the reality on ground.

That reality as known by all of us is where the wealth of this nation was situated naturally by God.

If this opinion was nothing serious as always dismissed by some tribal few, what then do they think is the reason why successive governments, especially since the advent of democracy would make efforts aimed at dialoging with and curbing the suffering of that region that produces the wealth because on what they have suffered wantonly, courtesy of oil exploration in the region?

God didn't make a mistake when He gave some parts of this country numerical advantage and gave the Niger Delta wealth advantage.

That was supernaturally designed so that we can have grounds for negotiations.

No one should rule out the essence and inevitability of round - table discussions if we must forge ahead. Call it National Conference, call it any other name.
WE MUST TALK

I said the other time in this forum, it's about time we viewed the different pockets of protests: boko haram in the north, fulani herdsmen in the west, IPOB in the east and militancy in the south seriously in the light of the fact that there is gross imbalance, disaffection and dissatisfaction.

hmmmmmm

PDP boys" Nijja is getting worse daily. Jonathan must be sad about this because he is too Noble but the people with body odour don't want him to breathe well"

Whats NSCDC doing please

they never left sha.

anyway are people still joining army this days?

this is another chance for the BH boys to recoup..... when the army turn to fight militancy.

Chai!!!

When a leader acts base on Bear parlour chants, you know that there is deficiency of wisdom. And this our Buhari has bankruptcy of wisdom. As a leader, there are problems you will tackle without even the public knowing about it. Whether you like it or not the maturity exhibited by Goodluck is missing in today's leadership. Oyibo dey wait to take advantage of any crack in our polity ooo!. Wisdom is beckoning Sir, don't be deceive by the chants you hear from these Almajiris here. Nobody knows them, but you will be held responsible for any misdemeanor that this country could be thrown into. Wish you Goodluck.

hmmm

these guys should take a chill pill!

This is another season film......

Sorry 4 u guys

I don't support this bombing, but at times you need to let someone know you are not afraid of him, but only trying to respect the Law.
You owned a Land and someone gose into agreement to buy it The transaction was done Legitimately . coming back to invite Tompolo to court has nothing to do with the selling of the Land, but because of what he did before Believe it or not this the truth. However, Tompolo has already distance himself from the bombing. One thing is for sure weda it's Tompolo or not that is behind this bombing, 2016 is going to be hard and militants will come back.

ghenghen! one step forward, ten steps backward. Action film has started again

One thing this thugs and thieves wrongly labelled Militants, haven't realised yet,
Is that, this is not a government ran by Two lecturers( Late President Yar'adua and Goodluck Jonathan)
who are afraid of spilling blood,
Buhari is not only an ex General in the army but from a warring tribe(fulani),
The so called militants will bomb oil installations,
And maybe kidnap a few white men,
In the ensuing war,
President Buhari will not relent or call for ceasefire, amnesty etc, until the are all dead,
I only pity the innocents who will be caught in the crossfire.

Great!

Let them bomb everything

_Foolish president of a _crazy zoo

ladyF:
this Niger Delta people sha. Only God can help them. Blowing up their communities without realizing they are bearing the primary burden. Please God, give them sense.

[size=15pt]LadyF[/size] is here again

Welcome back Lady F.....been a while!

I think the advisers of the president lack wisdom, there are something issues you negotiate (even if it is in secret), some you use firepower. Using firepower on this will cost more than if the government have even folded their arms and do nothing.

Hatred beget more hatred, anarchy beget more anarchy, it's violence, no matter the era.. Wisdom is required in handling precarious situations like this

.

Seriously, I don't know whether anyone seems to feel what am feeling about all these.
PRAY FOR NIGERIA