Nigerian Troop Kills 5 Niger Delta Militants and 2 Pirates in Cross Rivers State

Niger Delta militants who hijacked a boat have been ambushed and killed by troops of the Nigerian Army in Cross Rivers State.

*Photo used for illustrative purpose*

 

Troops of the Nigerian Army have killed 2 suspected pirates and 5 Niger Delta militants while three other suspects were arrested in different operations over the last three days.

 

The joint military task force deployed to the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Delta Safe downed the militants in a security operation on Parrot Island, Bakassi Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross Rivers State.

 

Spokesman of the joint task force, Lt.-Cdr. Thomas Otuji, made the disclosure said the troops deployed to the operation’s Sector 4 and a local vigilance group ambushed and killed five suspected members of militant Bakassi Strike Force who hijacked the cargo-laden boat and passengers.

 

“The militants had earlier seized the boat conveying large quantities of rice from a marketer, with passengers on board, and the owner of the rice was asked to pay N500,000 ransom.

 

“The troops placed ‘bait’ during the rescue operation and professionally engaged the militants in a gun duel, killing five of them and rescuing the passengers unhurt,” Otuji explained.

 

He said troops also arrested two suspected militants and a cultist at Ikot Ene, Akpabuyo LGA in Cross Rivers who are currently in custody for interrogation.

 

Besides, troops in Sector 3 of Operation Delta Safe at Idama waterside, Rivers State, got reports of an attack by pirates on innocent citizens and responded, sinking the pirates’ boat. Otuji said one AK-47 rifle, three magazines with 20 pieces of 7.62mm special ammunition and a life vest were recovered from the pirates who used a banned 200 horsepower outboard engine.

 

He also said following a tip-off, troops deployed on Kula-Abonema waterways killed two suspected sea pirates at Sonykiri creeks, near Olakpoko in Kula, while two suspects escaped with gunshot wounds. One Ak-47 riffle, 2 AK-47 magazines, 40 pieces on 7.62mm special ammunition, two mobile phones and one speedboat mounted with 140horsepower outboard engine were recovered by the troops.

 

The spokesman added that troops had intensified patrols in the ongoing operations, and solicited the public’s support by providing timely information to aid in securing the Niger Delta region.

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Militants Blow Up Another Pipeline In Delta

A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, NDGJM, in the early hours of Tuesday, blew up the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major delivery line to UPS/UQCC, operated by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NDPC/Shorelines Petroleum in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The attack confirmed by a leader of the group, self-styled Gen. Aldo Agbalaja, came as the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, which ceased hostilities, last month, accused the military of harassing old men, women and innocent youths in the region under the guise of hunting for militants.

Meanwhile, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, has warned that the Federal Government’s plan to continue to militarize the region and intimidate the people despite the fact that NDA and other dangerous militant groups had opted for dialogue will not make the region to forsake the Niger Delta struggle.

Also, acting Secretary of the Gbaramatu Traditional Council, GTC, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has cautioned against the continued militarization of the kingdom and other parts of the region, saying: “It is an ill wind that blows both the inhabitants of thee Niger Delta and the Federal Republic no good.”

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Hostilities Resume: Militants Bomb Another Pipeline in Delta

The ongoing 'Operation Crocodile Smile' in the Niger Delta region seems to have provoked the splinter cells of the militant groups to further attacks.

 

A militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, NDGJM, in the early hours of Tuesday, blew up the Afiesere-Iwhrenene major delivery line to UPS/UQCC, operated by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NDPC/Shorelines Petroleum in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The attack confirmed by a leader of the group, self-styled Gen. Aldo Agbalaja, came as the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, which ceased hostilities, last month, accused the military of harassing old men, women and innocent youths in the region under the guise of hunting for militants.

 

Stakeholders in the South-south region have overtime expressed worries about the heavy presence of military operatives in the region which has raised panic among people.

 

It would be recalled that the group had earlier announced a ceasefire on the 4th of September, 2016 before resuming hostilities in the region which may not be far from the provocative Operation Crocodile Smile which was introduced to sanitize the restive region.

Meanwhile, the Ijaw People Development Initiative, IPDI, has warned that the Federal Government’s plan to continue to militarize the region and intimidate the people despite the fact that NDA and other dangerous militant groups had opted for dialogue will not make the region to forsake the Niger Delta struggle.

 

Also, acting Secretary of the Gbaramatu Traditional Council, GTC, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, has cautioned against the continued militarization of the kingdom and other parts of the region, saying: “It is an ill wind that blows both the inhabitants of the Niger Delta and the Federal Republic no good.”

 

We’re not fools - Militants NDGJM in an electronic mail statement, said: “The Niger Delta is not a conquered territory and our people have never succumbed to intimidation before, rather we match force with the oppressor’s brutality. The Nigerian government should already know that the people of this part are not fools, who will not be able to see when they are being treated with disdain.”

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40 Ex Niger Delta Militants Graduate with first class and second class upper from Benson Idahosa University

Forty delegates under the Presidential Amnesty Programme graduated in First Class and Second Class Upper Division from the Benson Idahosa University, Benin. The results issued by the university on Monday, showed that six of the Amnesty delegates had First Class; one in Mathematics, two in Business Administration and three in Political Science and Public Administ ration.

Thirty four other Amnesty delegates graduated with Second Class Upper Division (2:1) A breakdown of those graduating with Upper Class showed that eight were in Political Science, four each in the Department of Economics, Banking and Finance, and the Mass Communication Department. Three each graduated in this Class from Computer Science, Business Administration and International Studies and Diplomacy.

Two graduated in Physics while one each graduated with Second Class Upper in Law, Agric Economics, Political Science Education, Library Studies, Microbiology, Biochemistry, and Business Education. Overall, over 50 percent of the 79 graduating Amnesty Programme delegates from the university had First Class and Second Class Upper degrees.

While receiving the official results from the university, an elated Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (Rtd) said the outstanding performance of the Amnesty delegates showed that if given the opportunity, youths from the Niger Delta can excel. He recalled with joy that just a fortnight ago, 22 of 144 delegates who graduated from 17 United Kingdom universities had First Class and Second Class Upper degrees. He pointed out that three of these UK graduates had First Class degrees in Mechatronics and Robotic System Engineering, Telecommunications and Network Engineering, and Public Relations from Liverpool and Bedfordshire universities.

General Boroh who is also the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme said the retention and funding of the Amnesty Programme by President Muhammadu Buhari shows he is committed to the stability and development of the Niger Delta.

He thanked the President for ensuring the sustainability of the Amnesty Programme and urged youths in the Niger Delta irrespective of their education or professional calling, to give a thought to agriculture either as a primary or secondary means of income in order, among other objectives, to create jobs, generate wealth and achieve food security.

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NPDC pipeline bombed by new militant group

Barely a day after it threatened to attack oil and gas installations within the upland part of the Niger Delta, a new militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, on Wednesday reportedly blew up a major oil trunk line in Isoko area of Delta State.

The NDGJM had on Tuesday threatened to attack oil facilities located in the upland of the region, including the Warri and Port-Harcourt refineries, following alleged Federal Government’s failure to develop upland communities as well as include them in the ongoing dialogue with Ijaw militants.

The incident, which occurred at about 2am on Wednesday, left the pipeline which feeds the Eriemu Manifold, operated by Nigerian Petroleum Development Company in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state, destroyed.

A military source at the 3 Battalion, Agbarho-Otor, confirmed the attack but refused to give details as the incident was being investigated by security agencies in the area.

The spokesperson for the group, Aldo Agbalaja, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement issued late Wednesday evening.

It said the operation was carried out under its ‘Operation Zero’ which was  targeted at national assets even as it threatened more of such similar attacks in days to come.

The statement partly read, “The Central Operations Command of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate hereby announces the commencement of demolition and evacuation of the uplands tagged, “Operation Zero” to correct the wrongs that have afflicted our people for years, seek justice for the perpetually cheated and protect the identities of our people, who are co-owners of the wealth which Nigeria has forever misappropriated.

“As a mark of our seriousness and to prove we are people of our words, at about 0200hours of today; Wednesday, August 10, 2016, operatives of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate brought down a Major Trunk/Delivery Line from Isoko to the Eriemu Manifold in Urhobo, belonging to the NPDC/Shoreline Resources.”

The group also gave a strong warning to the NPDC not to commence repairs on the affected trunk line as it would not hesitate to attack its personnel.

“This is just a glimpse of what is to come; there are several assets already penned up for destruction. This line of action has been made inevitable by an unjust system, which only responds to the violent, to the detriment of the peaceful and law abiding,” the statement added.

Efforts by our correspondent to confirm the  incident from the zonal spokesperson for the NPDC, Mr. Ugo Atugbokoh, were unsuccessful as calls to his telephone line were not picked.

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Militants attack more Chevron assets

Niger Delta militants on Wednesday blew up two additional facilities belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited, making it the fourth time the oil major’s assets would be attacked in less than a month.

Amid the recent upsurge in attacks on oil and gas installations in the area, some international oil companies and the Nigerian National Petroleum Companies have seen their facilities damaged, with the latest being Chevron.

A militant group that calls itself the Niger Delta Avengers, which has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks since the beginning of the year, destroyed two vital Chevron’s Bibi oil wells, RMP 23 and RMP 24, in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State on Wednesday.

One of our correspondents learnt that the incident occurred around 3:44am near Egbema, an Ijaw enclave in Warri North, and the wells have been shut down.

A military source and an employee of Chevron, who did not want their names mentioned, confirmed the incident, adding that the attack led to heavy spillage in the creeks.

The source also said that a team of engineers had been sent to assess the damage and stop further spread of the spillage.

When contacted, the Manager, Communications, Chevron Nigeria, Mr. Sola Adebawo, said, “We will not comment on security issues.”

On May 4, Chevron’s Okan offshore platform came under attack, a development that resulted in the shutdown of the facility.

Okan is the nation’s first offshore production platform located in the Escravos area of Delta State.

Chevron said the damage to the Okan platform had affected about 35,000 barrels per day of its own net crude production, or about 15 per cent of its output in the country.

On May 13, a new blast occurred at a Chevron oil well at the Marakaba pipeline in Warri.

Last week, the NDA carried out another attack on the oil major’s main power line at the Escravos terminal, shutting down its onshore operations in the region.

Onshore oil assets in Nigeria have been attacked for years, forcing the IOCs to reduce their land-bound operations in the area in favour of more secure offshore projects.

The Head of Energy Research, Ecobank Capital, Mr. Dolapo Oni, said, “I think the IOCs have genuine reasons to be worried. As companies that have high safety standards, most major oil companies are likely to take stringent safety protocols, including reducing personnel at fields bordering locations that have been hit or could be hit.”

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Delta Community in Fear and Panic as Soldiers Shoot Indiscriminately

Nigerian soldiers on a mission to fish out the Niger-Delta Avengers have stormed a Delta community allegedly shooting sporadically and indiscriminately at residents.

Militants from the Niger-Delta region

Soldiers, who laid siege to Oporoza community, traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, at 1.52 am, started shooting indiscriminately at about 8.44 am, causing more confusion in the riverine town.

According to Vanguard, villagers who ran into the forest on sighting them with gunboats were yet to return, as soldiers, who came in search of ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and members of the Niger Delta Avengers,  have taken over the community.

Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, told Vanguard on phone at about 9.00 am: “Soldiers have started shooting in Oporoza as I speak to you now, I do not know the casualty, but they are shooting right now, the whole town is in turmoil.”

His words: “I am crying on behalf of my people, we have been saying before now that we do not know what the military is looking for in Oporoza, they have come two times before now in the last few weeks. We said then that they were looking for excuse to start shooting, now they are shooting, we do not know what will happen after the shooting.”

National President of Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, Mr. Austin Ozobo, also raised the alarm that soldiers were shooting in Oporoza and called on the Federal Government to call the soldiers to order.

A villager, who called our reporter on phone, said: “The military is currently shooting randomly in Oporoza but we do not know whether it was aimed at anybody because we are still in the forest. We ran into the forest this morning. 

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Militant Niger-Delta Avengers Blow Up More Oil and Gas Installations in Bayelsa

The Niger-Delta Avengers militant group have continued in their recent bomb attacks in the region destroying more government installations.

 

The strike teams of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, in the early hours of today,Saturday, struck in Bayelsa State, blowing up trunk line belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company, NAOC and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC.

The group, which claimed responsibility for the explosions in a tweet, said: “At About 2.15am on Saturday the @NDAvengers blow up Nembe 1, 2 and 3 Brass to Bonny Trunk Line belonging to Agip and Shell.”

 

Meanwhile, soldiers invaded Oporoza, the traditional headquarters of Gbaramatu kingdom, at about 1.52 am, this morning and were still laying siege to the community as at 8.00 am.

The soldiers, who came in no fewer than seven gunboats, allegedly beat up residents, including an octogenarian community leader, Chief Atiti Mala, with the butt of a gun.

“They were asking the helpless villagers to produce former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, and members of the Niger Delta Avengers,” a youth leader told Vanguard on phone.

Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who confirmed the attack on Oporoza, said: “Information available to me is that the military invaded Oporoza again in the early hours of today. As I am speaking to you, they are still there molesting people.”

“They have arrested many persons and villagers have fled into the bush, this is wrong, they are going to worsen issues with what they are doing. I posted on Facebook that they invaded Oporoza and a military called me to tell me that they would deal with me.

“We are not safe, we have said it over and over that Gbaramatu people are not synonymous with Niger Delta Avengers, they should leave my people along. If they want to kill me, let them go ahead, but I will continue to say the truth, why are they harassing my people, they should harass the militants whose activities we condemn,” he added.

Source: Vanguard

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Militants attack Agip pipeline in Bayelsa

Gunmen, suspected to be militants, have attacked a pipeline belonging to an oil giant, Nigerian Agip Oil Company, at Ikienghenbiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The pipeline vandalism was said to have been spearheaded by some armed youths within the community.

However, community sources alleged that a supremacy war between rival pipeline contractors over surveillance contract led to the attack on the pipeline.

It was learnt that operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps who stormed the community shortly after the incident arrested one of the suspects.

The state Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, confirmed the attack on the Agip pipeline.

He said one of the militants, identified simply as Peregbakumo, was arrested through the assistance of the community leaders.

Agu said he summoned an emergency meeting of senior officers of the command and gave them a marching order to secure all pipelines, oil installations and other critical national assets in the state.

He identified the facility attacked by the militants as a pipeline along Azuzuama area of the Tebidaba-Brass trunkline.

The Commandant said the pipeline was attacked with dynamite at about 12.30am, adding that the community was cooperating with his operatives to apprehend the other fleeing suspects.

He said after the attack, the armed youths laid ambush in the community and shot a civilian member of the Oil and Gas Task Force in the leg.

Agu, however, said the youth took off on sighting the gunboat of NSCDC, adding that his operatives later arrested Peregbakumo with the help of community people.

Agu said, “At about 0300hrs, a gang of armed youths allegedly led by one Suoyou, Iyelawei and Fyneboy, all of Ikienghenbiri community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, vandalised pipeline along Azuzuama area of the Tebidaba-Brass pipeline with dynamites and ignited fire on the line.

“Through community help, we were able to arrest one of the suspects and to identify some of the fleeing suspects.

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