One of the militant groups operating in the oil-rich region, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, has taken responsibility for the for the attack on the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) oil facility in Ughelli, Delta state.
The explosion rocked the pipeline around Osieta Avenue near Otu-Jeremi in Ughelli South local government area of the state, in the early hours of November 27, Sunday.
Aldo Agbalaja, the spokesman of the group, said it affected to register its presence and to “jolt those probably slipping into delusion back to reality.”
According to the militants, its Akuma Strike Force Team brought down the 42-inch delivery line operated by NPDC/ND WESTERN in Otu-Jeremi.
“In the last few weeks, we have been silent and observing. The period of silence was definitely not of inactivity. As a matter of fact, it was rather a strategy session, the fruits of which shall start showing up in the coming days. However, to register our presence and jolt those probably slipping into delusion back to reality, the Akuma Strike Force Team, at about 0400 hours today, November 27, brought down the 42-inch delivery line operated by NPDC/ND WESTERN in Otu-Jeremi,” the statement reads.
“The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has also observed the calculated psychological attack recently initiated by the Nigerian security forces against our people, believing that by pursuing and arresting our people, the struggle will be defeated and our resolve would be quelled. This will not work because what motivates us is stronger than the Nigerian kind of patriotism. Once again, we proclaim that we shall fight until the last man alive.
“It has also come to the attention of the High Command of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate that some impostors have now started a move to hoodwink the Federal Government into believing that they have what it takes to end this campaign that we have sworn to stay committed to. These conmen, grandstanding and parading themselves as the ‘lords of Warri,’ have forgotten that this campaign goes well beyond their purview or grasp.”
File photo: Bombing of pipeline in Rivers state by Niger Delta militants NDJDG
The Justice Mandate urged the Nigerian authorities to be on guard of who it accords attention, in what it defined as desperation to get oil to flow unhindered from the region’s soil.
“Be wary of political jobbers whose stock in trade has always been using the struggle to profiteer. We have severally indicated how to end this, and definitely not through political jobbers and conflict merchants. If and when we have reasons to trust anybody to hold discussions with, we shall through this same medium announce the process and the persons. This is a warning for the wise,” the militants added.
The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not taking part in the month-long ceasefire that other groups and the government reached following attacks by Niger Delta Avengers, which brought Nigeria’s oil production to a 30-year low.
At the same time, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo claimed the country now loses “over one million barrels of crude oil on a daily basis.”
