Niger Delta Militants Give Oil Companies 2 Weeks to Shut Down Operations

 

The Niger Delta Avengers, the new face of violent agitations in the region, on Thursday issued a two-week ultimatum to owners and operators of oil blocs in the area to shut down their business operations and evacuate all their staff or face a ‘bloody’ attack.

The organization had recently claimed responsibility for destroying Nigeria’s oil platforms resulting in the shut-in of several barrels of crude, disruption in power supply and shortage of gas supply.

NDA also attacked the Shell platform in Forcados, the Chevron Okan platform at Abiteye in Escravos, and the pipelines transporting crude oil to the Warri and the Kaduna refineries.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, ‘Col’ Mudock Agbinibo, the group also warned oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited, not to embark on the repair of the valve blown last week, or several casualties would be recorded during any confrontation.

‘’To owners and operators of these oil blocs in our region, the Niger Delta Avengers is giving you two weeks ultimatum to shut down your operations and evacuate your staff.

‘’If at the end of the ultimatum, you are still operating, we will blow up all the locations. It will be bloody. So just shut down your operations and leave’’, the group warned.

 Giving a detailed breakdown of owners of the oil wells in the Niger Delta region, the NDA claimed that at least 90 per cent of the platforms was owned by people outside the oil-producing region, stressing that they (NDA) would shut down the companies permanently.

‘’There is a rumour that oil has been discovered in the North East. How will you feel if this new found oil is being managed by Niger Deltans. We are very sure the Niger Deltans won’t even have 2% oil bloc if oil is really found in the Northeast. If you don’t shut down we will shut your stations permanently for you’’, the group said.