IF the militants who sabotaged crude and gas pipelines in Delta State thought that by their action, they would succeed in brow-beating the Federal Government into bargaining amnesty with them and awarding them contracts for protection of pipelines in the region, then they seriously misfired.

According to a militant leader, “General” Levi (not real name), whose group claimed responsibility for the attacks that led to the shutdown of the Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, they would not drop their arms until the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, “meets and negotiates” with them.

Apparently convinced that the damage in the face of dwindling oil price and crash of the Naira might force government to parley with the group, “General” Levi asserted, “We are ready to commence discussion and denounce association with this present situation. Henceforth, we are ready to block any channel for anyone not to go through to bomb oil pipelines.”

Bombshell

However, the reaction from President Muhammadu Buhari, a week after the explosions that destroyed the Escravos-Warri-Lagos-Abuja gas pipelines and other oil facilities in Warri South-west and Warri north local government areas of Delta State from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, UAE, jolted the militants.

Rather than plead for their understanding with his government, Buhari, during a meeting with the Nigerian community in UAE, vowed to deal with oil thieves, abductors and vandals of oil and gas pipelines.

It was not a story time for the President, who is ruing the attack that is costing the economy a daily loss of N470 million besides the closure of the refineries.

Recalling how the armed forces had dealt “deadly blows” on Boko Haram insurgents to re-launch the country on safety path, he declared, “The oil thieves and abductors are a less problematic target. We will re-organize and deal with them.”

Confusion

Buhari’s tough mien actually staggered the militants, who held a secret meeting shortly after the January 14-16 attacks to review their exploit. Unknown to them, they had just given Buhari, who, all along, had been trying to be cautious about his actions/inactions on the unpredictable Niger Delta cannon fodder to unleash his “war” plan. A source said the reaction of the Federal Government threw the militants into disarray, as what they planned was not what they got.

A source said they might likely go back to the drawing board to plot their next move. But the dust their cunning strikes left is rumbling everywhere in the oil rich region.



Huge loss

A source told Sunday Vanguard, “Because of the strategic importance of Niger Delta to the nation, the Federal Government did not want to do anything that will provoke tension in the region and give people the excuse to blow up oil pipelines. But they have caused it themselves; so they should take anything that comes out of it.”

“You can see that Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries have been shut down because of crude supply challenges arising from recent attacks on vital crude oil pipelines. The NNPC shut the plants simultaneously penultimate Sunday after the Bonny –Okirika crude supply line to the Port Harcourt refinery and the Escravos-Warri crude supply line to the Kaduna refinery suffered breaches.”

The NNPC, in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, said the corporation shut the plants, simultaneously, on Sunday, after the Bonny-Okrika crude supply line to the Port Harcourt refinery, and the Escravos-Warri crude supply line to the Kaduna refinery suffered breaches.

It stated that before the closure, the Port Harcourt refinery was recording a daily petrol yield of over 4.1 million litres, while the Kaduna refinery was posting a daily petrol production of about 1.3 million litres.

According to the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, the vandalism of the gas pipelines would affect negatively the Olorunsogo National Integrated Power Project plant, which has the capacity to supply 600 megawatts of electricity, and other power plants across the country.

The Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Hakeem Bello, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday, that although security agencies had intensified the search for those behind the attack on the pipeline, their action would slow down the country’s power supply system.

Bello stated, “The sabotaged gas pipeline, which contributes to the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, has led to a loss of 160mmsfcd of gas daily. At a cost of $2.50 per thousand scf, this loss means about $400,000 loss to the country on a daily basis (N78.8m) in gas volume.”



No more tea party – Defense Minister

The Minister of Defense, Brigadier-General Monsur Mohammed-Dan-Ali (retd.), who stopped over in Warri, on Tuesday, for an on-the-spot assessment of the blown-up pipelines, gave a clear indication that the Federal Government was not going to huddle with criminals.

Even as residents of the various Delta State riverside communities lived in fear following the heavy deployment by the military, he directed the JTF Commander, Major General Alani Okunola, and his men to fish out the bombers.

“I came here to intensify assistance to the armed forces and provide them with the equipment that will help them to bring down these criminals. This was an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion”, the Minister stated.

“I believe it was well arranged and well planned. You can see the magnitude of the explosion. I believe this will be taken care of by members of our armed forces. We have intensified patrol. We are still looking for them and the Joint Task Force (JTF) Commander has assured me that they will get to the root of it.”

In his entourage were the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ite Ikwe Ibas; the Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, the JTF Commander, Major General Okunmola, Commander, 2 Battalion, Lt. Col Omoke Igwe Patrick, and Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS Delta, Commodore Raimi Mohammed.



Terrorism, no more pipeline vandalism —CNS

Speaking on Wednesday in Abuja and apparently re-echoing Buhari’s new “war” plan, the Chief of Naval Staff, Ibas, said, henceforth, the Nigerian Navy would treat such infraction as terrorist attack, rather than mere pipeline vandalism.

Describing the bomb blasts as unfortunate, the CNS, who delivered a lecture to Course 24 participants at the National Defence College, entitled, ‘Nigerian Navy: Challenges and Future Perspectives,’ noted that the Navy was not taking the sabotage nonchalantly because the act was capable of undermining the Navy’s recent push in sanitizing the nation’s maritime sector.

His words, “The incident that just happened recently is rather unfortunate and of course that cannot be taken lightly by any serious nation and of course the Nigerian Navy is not going to take it lightly as well.

“We have made it clear that it goes beyond just mere vandalism for the purpose of making any gains; this is absolute sabotage, something that can even be termed terrorism.

“If the guys were doing that to derive benefit from the destruction then one will say it is vandalism, but that is not the case”.



New order, fresh fears

A military source told Sunday Vanguard, at the weekend. “President Buhari has directed the Minister of Defense on what to do. When he said the militants who blew up the pipelines were less problematic than Boko Haram, the President has intelligence information at his disposal and, I tell you, it is just to re-organize as he said, they will be taken care of.”

“Some persons have been compromised before now because they know the militants and they parley with them. I am not supposed to tell you the changes that will be made, but you will see them with your eyes soon.”

Meanwhile, investigations showed that the JTF had been given an unambiguous order to stop at nothing to fish out the perpetrators of the attacks on the crude and gas pipelines in the Delta State and the Federal Government was prepared to provide more logistics. The threat by the JTF Commander that the task force would hold community leaders responsible for any future attacks in their areas had also raised the heartbeat of the people. Indeed, the fear of what it portends is what has made many riverside dwellers to flee their communities in the last one week.



Uncertainty

Ijaw leaders and groups, who suspect that some persons were trying to get at a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, with the current development, have urged the military to be cautious so as not to exacerbate the already complicated state of affairs. However, normalcy has returned after the three-day bombings, especially when the task force took commanding control of some major entry and exit routes in the creeks of Warri, last Sunday, but the next line of action is like two peas in a pod.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/militants-failed-plot-to-arm-twist-buhari/

This people are being paid and even sent out of the country to study yet they are still blowing up pipelines, this clearly shows they want something else and am pretty sure Buratai's boys would be ready to "let it rain" The painful part would be innocent people who will suffer from this.

austinvsb1:
I'v never seen a country with citizens willing to readily sabotage her progress and development like Nigeria! This is more than baffling really!

"Azin" I tire, yet you will see some educated illiterates supporting this people

Ok oooo. Let's see how this unfolds.

I'v never seen a country with citizens willing to readily sabotage her progress and development like Nigeria! This is more than baffling really!

New sheriff in town. No more business as usual. Whether militant, boko haram or miscreants, Buhari is ready to take care of them once and for all.

By the time Buhari finishes with this people, they'll change their name to Delta/Niger.

Nigeria will no longer bow at the whims of terrorists and econonic saboteurs. Mbanu

However, normalcy has returned after the three-day bombings, especially when the task force took commanding control of some major entry and exit routes in the creeks of Warri, last Sunday, but the next line of action is like two peas in a pod.

While the other major entry and exit routes in the creeks were deliberately yielded to the Respected Government Tompolo as part of an ongoing deal to win him over to join Apc. The hypocrisy and double standard of this administration is unbelievable!!! PMB should be honest enough to tell the nation the true state of affairs instead of these continued charade.

Federal government should set up IDP camps for the elderly, sick and any other person willing to cooperate in that area . Then go gung ho ,on the rest, The time of carrot, carrot and stick is over, now we are going full stick on miscreants.

These militants are too dumb to think that Buhari will give in to their way. If not, they would have known that the president doesn't negotiate on opponents terms of sabotage, sympathy and threats.

By merely watching the president's first media chat, trouble makers with common sense and who don't want to go six under so early, would have mellowed down.

A man who could treat Dasuki, Haliru Bello, Yuguda, Akpobolokemi, Bafarawa, Metuh, Zakzaky etc as common criminals despite their positions in the society will never find it hard to treat real criminals as criminals.

Let those who have ears hear.

This is pure show of crass bravado. Buhari's gra-gra will not get us any where, it will be a clollateral damage. Obasanjo tried it, and we know where that led to.

Buhari should negotiate with the militants. After all, blowing up the pipelines is not hard.

The ND people are just so daft .

The bombing of the pipeline would cause so much polution to the already poluted land.

Their case is just like a man who sets his own house on fire to get attention.

Tompolo is just after his own selfish desire not in the interest of the people.

Illiteracy is truly a disease.

No source.
Another boring series...,

Yomieluv:
The ND people are just so daft .

The bombing of the pipeline would cause so much polution to the already poluted land.

Their case is just like a man who sets his own house on fire to get attention.

Tompolo is just after his own selfish desire not in the interest of the people.

Illiteracy is truly a disease.

Nonsense!!!

I didn't read where the Nigerian Military said that they are going to use forensic technology to fish out the culprits, rather they are using bragadaccio, threats and intimidation as a means of solving the problem. This is 15th century way of doing things. We live in an era of technological know how and one individual is capable of creating mayhem. The Niger Delta freedom fighters could easily lay low and frustrate the efforts of the Government at will. Are they going to kill everyone because they are looking for the freedom fighters? We are watching!

DropShot:
These militants are too dumb to think that Buhari will give in to their way. If not, they would have known that the president doesn't negotiate on opponents terms of sabotage, sympathy and threats.

By merely watching the president's first media chat, trouble makers with common sense and who don't want to go six under so early, would have mellowed down.

A man who could treat Dasuki, Haliru Bello, Yuguda, Akpobolokemi, Bafarawa, Metuh etc as common criminals despite their positions in the society will never find it hard to treat real criminals as criminals.

Let those who have ears hear.

Nonsense!!!
**** if you had any sense of defense strategy you would have known that comparing BH with ND militancy is miles apart. Boko haram is fighting in the desert, the militants are fighting in the creeks, and they always use their terrain to their advantage, check ur history, even the British that conquered the north and west couldn't conquer them and had to trick jaja of opobo into exile. I don't think u have ever visited the creeks

Tkester2:


Nonsense!!!

I didn't read where the Nigerian Military said that they are going to use forensic technology to fish out the culprits, rather they are using bragadaccio, threats and intimidation as a means of solving the problem. This is 15th century way of doing things. We live in an era of technological know how and one individual is capable of creating mayhem. The Niger Delta freedom fighters could easily lay low and frustrate the efforts of the Government at will. Are they going to kill everyone because they are looking for the freedom fighters? We are watching!

Am not sure you read any part at all, if you did you would have known that intels is already on ground.

Tkester2:



Nonsense!!!

Mumu, if you had any sense of defense strategy you would have known that comparing BH with ND militancy is miles apart. Boko haram is fighting in the desert, the militants are fighting in the creeks, and they always use their terrain to their advantage, check ur history, even the British that conquered the north and west couldn't conquer them and had to trick jaja of opobo into exile. I don't think u have ever visited the creeks

Using body heat sensors would make it easier

Tkester2:



Nonsense!!!

Mumu, if you had any sense of defense strategy you would have known that comparing BH with ND militancy is miles apart. Boko haram is fighting in the desert, the militants are fighting in the creeks, and they always use their terrain to their advantage, check ur history, even the British that conquered the north and west couldn't conquer them and had to trick jaja of opobo into exile. I don't think u have ever visited the creeks

No need to fight the war online.

Bring it on boys!

Tkester2:
This is pure show of crass bravado. Buhari's gra-gra will not get us any where, it will be a clollateral damage. Obasanjo tried it, and we know where that led to.

Buhari should negotiate with the militants. After all, blowing up the pipelines is not hard.

Negotiate?
You must think Buhari is a Jonathan who allowed all sort of militants take over his govt from him by negotiating with them.

PMB is in a different league and no militants or BH can hold him to ransome.

Once a soldier is always a soldier. Let them bring it on!

I will even pray they don't stop their bombing of the pipelines. Let's see who suffers the most.

Tkester2:


Nonsense!!!

I didn't read where the Nigerian Military said that they are going to use forensic technology to fish out the culprits, rather they are using bragadaccio, threats and intimidation as a means of solving the problem. This is 15th century way of doing things. We live in an era of technological know how and one individual is capable of creating mayhem. The Niger Delta freedom fighters could easily lay low and frustrate the efforts of the Government at will. Are they going to kill everyone because they are looking for the freedom fighters? We are watching!

This is the approach and body language buhari has adopted in this era where ideas and cutting edge innovations power society. The militants they are calling miscreants are way ahead of this government in every aspect.

Tkester2:
This is pure show of crass bravado. Buhari's gra-gra will not get us any where, it will be a clollateral damage. Obasanjo tried it, and we know where that led to.

Buhari should negotiate with the militants. After all, blowing up the pipelines is not hard.

The US doesn't negotiate with terrorists, Nigeria (under PMB) doesn't negotiate with militants.

Tkester2:


Nonsense!!!

I didn't read where the Nigerian Military said that they are going to use forensic technology to fish out the culprits, rather they are using bragadaccio, threats and intimidation as a means of solving the problem. This is 15th century way of doing things. We live in an era of technological know how and one individual is capable of creating mayhem. The Niger Delta freedom fighters could easily lay low and frustrate the efforts of the Government at will. Are they going to kill everyone because they are looking for the freedom fighters? We are watching!

they are not freedom fighters but criminals in the creek sabotaging for selfish reason not collective purpose of the region. They bomb so that they can be given security contact ...note this is buhari different from other president we ever had.

Chubhie:

This is the approach and body language buhari has adopted in this era where ideas and cutting edge innovations power society. The militants they are calling miscreants are way ahead of this government in every aspect.

The "miscreants" you claim are ahead of the government may have their property confiscated after the government finish dealing with them.

DropShot:

Negotiate?
You must think Buhari is a Jonathan who allowed all sort of militants take over his govt from him by negotiating with them.

PMB is in a different league and no militants or BH can hold him to ransome.

Once a soldier is always a soldier. Let them bring it on!

I will even pray they don't stop their bombing of the pipelines. Let's see who suffers the most.

The question now is-- who is Buhari? if I use current realities and paint you a picture of your idol with proofs, you will have to locate Gej and apologise to him.

Chubhie:

While the other major entry and exit routes in the creeks were deliberately yielded to the Respected Government Tompolo as part of an ongoing deal to win him over to join Apc. The hypocrisy and double standard of this administration is unbelievable!!! PMB should be honest enough to tell the nation the true state of affairs instead of these continued charade.

What a shame and a waste of gene.

OrlandoOwoh:

The "miscreants" you claim are ahead of the government may have their property confiscated after the government finish dealing with them.

Put a definite date or time frame in that your 'after' and I will take you and 'I will' government serious.

Chubhie:

The question now is-- who is Buhari? if I use current realities and paint you a picture of your idol with proofs, you will have to locate Gej and apologise to him.

With all things we have experience and the revelations coming out,anybody that still believe that GEJ is still a better option is M A D.

redsconsult:
they are not freedom fighters but criminals in the creek sabotaging for selfish reason not collective purpose of the region. They bomb so that they can be given security contact ...note this is buhari different from other president we ever had.

These people you have conveniently termed 'criminals' are all the political crooks in Apc any better?

This is the word of Sapele Olofofo, Peace be upon his servant!

[And those who has decided to go back to the creeks and mangroves of Niger Delta to resume the
armed struggle and hostilities; should know that President Buhari has enough shoes to match them unlike Jonathan who has no shoes.]

Niger Delta will not boil, Tompolo should do the needful by making himself available for interrogation, if he is clean he would be left alone.

na later dem dey,, they think say na mr clueles ni....