Security agents have arrested five
suspected militants in connection with the bombing of a Chevron Nigeria
Limited, CNL crude oil pipeline in the early hours of Friday, May 13,
2016 at Makaraba community, Gbaramatu clan, Warri South-West Local
Government Area, Delta State. Makaraba community in Gbaramatu clan is
host to a Chevron Flow Station.
Saturday Vanguard could not confirm if
the apprehended suspects were members of Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, the
militant group, which had been on rampage in Delta state and other parts
of the region, lately, but unlike previous attacks, the group did not
claim responsibility for the attack.
The spokesperson of Joint Task Force,
JTF, Col Isa Ado, was unavailable for comments on the recent attacks
when our reporter called his cell phone.
However, a dependable security source
told one of our reporters: “I cannot give you details of the suspects
arrested; they were arrested by the military men, who have been on the
hunt for members of the Niger Delta Avengers, which claimed
responsibility for series of explosions on oil facilities in the area of
late.”
How They Struck
Reports from the area said the militants
blew up the pipeline at two different spots. Initially, it was not
clear if it was a pipeline or an oil well that was bombed as fire
billowed from the location in the swampy terrain, near Abiteye, but
Chevron officials conducted an over flight with a helicopter, yesterday
morning, to ascertain the situation.
Niger Delta Avengers had warned,
Thursday, that it would attack the headquarters of CNL in Lagos and tank
farm if it did not abort its planned repair works on the Valve Platform
earlier destroyed by the group, May 5.
The spokesperson, Col Mudroch Agbinibo,
added that the group, which had restricted itself to only pipeline
attacks, might take human casualties if the company thought it was
joking and defied the warning by going ahead to effect repairs on the
damaged facility.
Vanguard could not confirm if CNL was
carrying out any repairs at the time the militants bombed the pipeline
barely 24 hours after the warning.
It was gathered that the daring attack
occurred near the same Valve Platform the Niger Delta Avengers bombed
earlier, not far from an outpost of soldiers guarding oil facilities in
the creeks.
A security source, who spoke to one of
our reporters, said: “The loud explosive bang was heard at the facility
and it appears dynamites were used to carry out the attack.”
He said: “It is not certain if there are
causalities as a result of the incident, but investigations into the
attack is still ongoing, while security operatives continue their search
for the perpetrators of this ugly act.” Attempts to reach Chevron’s
general manager, policy, government and public relations, Deji Haastrup
for comments on the incident was fruitless as a source said he was out
of the country.
An official, Mr. Tunji Idowu, who spoke, however, said: “We are still assessing the situation; we do not have facts on it yet.’’
Ozobo Blasts Oduku
Meanwhile, national president of the
Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative, IPDI, Austin Ozobo, Friday,
tongue-lashed the Commandant of the Riverine Security (Coast Guard of
the Federation), Commander Bibi Oduku, who fingered Gbaramatu people,
Thursday, for the pipeline attacks for his “unfounded and unguarded
comments.”
He said: “I am against the violent
attacks by the Niger Delta Avengers, which we have condemned as a group.
We know the plight of the people of Gbaramatu Kingdom since the days of
militancy until now. It is, therefore, provocative for a mischief maker
like Oduku to say that the whole Gbaramatu people are involved in the
pipeline attacks.”
“How can he say so, he (Oduku) is a
questionable person, who has deceived so many Niger Deltans under the
guise of Buhari amnesty for militants and he had been boasting about
that he was going to take over the security job in the area from
ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo. So he has
embarked on a smear campaign of Gbaramatu people to achieve his aim,” he
said.
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