NIGER – DELTA militants blew up trunk lines belonging to Nigerian Agip Oil Company,
NAOC, and Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC, in Bayelsa State, while soldiers took over Oporoza community, the headquarters of Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
An industry source, who confirmed the attacks, believed to have been carried by the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) group, told Sunday Source: “Information at my disposal is that somewhere around the Lagos-gbene axis of the Tebidaba-Bras trunk line, was attacked with dynamites, this morning (yesterday).
“I also heard that another SPDC line was hit in the early hours of Saturday towards Nembe area. Some workers are about leaving to see the extent of damage inflicted on the facility.”
A military source, who ruled out the widespread cry of witch-hunt by the military against the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom, said soldiers arrested seven persons and recovered explosives, arms and ammunition during a raid on suspected hideouts of a former militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
On two occasions this month, men of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, had invaded Oporoza community and departed at dawn, but when they came at about 1.52 am, yesterday, they laid siege until dawn and stayed put, leaving many of the villagers, who fled into the bush, trapped.
The situation was still hazy. While the Bebenowei (Chief Mobilizer) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Godspower Gbenekama and other leaders condemned the military over the invasion, the Ibakurowei (Man with the big heart) of Gbaramatu Kingdom, Chief Daniel Ekpebide, and Mr. Smart Asekutu, President, Delta Ijaw Peace Movement, DIPM, welcomed the takeover.
No comments:
Post a Comment