Renewed Attack On Oil Installations: JTF Declares 7 Wanted

SAN FRANCISCO, February 06, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian military has declared 7 militants wanted following an attack on a key crude pipeline in the Niger Delta, belonging to Italian oil giant Agip.

Eni S.p.A, the parent company of Agip Monday said the attack has cost it “around 4,000” barrels per day of “equity production”, but militants claiming to be members of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) put the figure at “200, 000” bpd.

“Agip cleverly indicated that 4,000 barrels of its production is affected by our attack. The reality is that close to 200,000 bpd of Nigerian crude exports is affected by our attack as that trunk line served to transport crude oil for other oil companies as well. This translates to a daily loss of at least $20 million,” MEND stated Monday.

The affected pipeline is located in Brass, Bayelsa State, homestate of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in a statement by its spokesman, Lt. Colonel Timothy Antigha listed Friday Burutu, Lord Onipa, Robinson Agagudu, Eyala Karo, Stanley Uduorie, Para Ekiye and Rasmus Omukoro as perpetrators of the attack saying, “these suspects are advised to turn themselves in for interaction with authorities of the Joint Task Force in Yenagoa, latest noon, February 8, 2012.”

MEND, an umbrella militant group whose leadership accepted the Federal Government’s Amnesty deal, in a statement signed using the usual pseudo name, Gbomo Jomo, claimed responsibility for the attack threatening more on installations belonging to oil companies and South African telecoms giant MTN.

“If the Nigerian government cannot protect companies like Shell and Chevron, how will they manage to protect an insignificant SACOIL?

“Within the next few weeks, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta will carry out a few major attacks on oil installations to demonstrate to the world the helplessness of oil companies and the Nigerian military.”

But Antigha has described the militants as ‘swindlers’ appropriating the identity of MEND to advance their ‘selfish interest’.

“The Joint Task Force wishes to reiterate its earlier warning that the suspects and their cohorts are out to swindle Niger Deltans by appropriating the identity of the erstwhile leadership of MEND to advance their selfish interest.

“For the avoidance of doubt, people who were the leadership of MEND are now responsible members of the society, having accepted the amnesty.

“In the light of this, the general public is advised to remain calm and discountenance the tissue of lies issued by these suspects as their raison d’être, because the relevant stages of the amnesty which was granted to authentic ex-militants and all the attendant benefits are still on course,” the JTF statement said.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has charged the military protect oil installations and restore order in the Niger Delta.

A statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku, assured stakeholders that the military would tackle the security challenge.

“Following the widely reported threat by persons claiming to be elements of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to resume hostilities in the Niger Delta, the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and the Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Programme, Hon. Kingsley Kuku wishes to reiterate the confidence of the Presidential Amnesty Office in the ability of the nation’s security agencies and Armed Forces to tackle security challenges in the Niger Delta as well as other parts of Nigeria.

“Similarly, Hon. Kuku condemns in the strongest terms possible the unconscionable attacks on the facilities of Agip by those who claim to be operatives of MEND and urges the nation’s security agencies and Armed Forces to devise proactive and creative ways of nipping insecurity in the bud in the Niger Delta, which is the nation’s oil and gas hub.

“Hon. Kingsley Kuku wishes to assure all stakeholders and the general public that the posturing of a few persons will not dissuade the Federal Government from doggedly pursuing the ideals of the Presidential Amnesty Proclamation as well as the post-Amnesty Programme…

“Indeed, Hon. Kuku reiterates his often held position that the fact that several former agitators in the Niger Delta accepted the offer of Amnesty does not in any way foreclose the fact that there may still be many aggrieved persons in the zone and may be carrying out these security breaches. Kuku is urging these aggrieved persons to seek peaceful ways and means to express themselves. He warns that security breaches and blackmail will not earn these persons the desired attention,” the statement from by the Head of Media and Communications of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Mr. Henry Ugbolue said.