Niger Delta Militants Bomb Shell Oil Pipeline Again

Suspected Niger Delta militants have blown up another oil pipeline amidst strong insinuation of a peaceful negotiation with the nefarious militant groups as envisaged by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

 

A report on Dailymail reveals Niger Delta militants have struck again despite well-publicised progressive talks with the Federal Government representatives following an official statement by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

 

The unnamed militant group blew up a crude pipeline operated by Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell in the already polluted Delta State on Sunday, 31st of July, 2016.

 

The information was revealed to the online news platform by a local resident named Endoro Newworld who said;

"The incident occurred at about 1:00 am near Odimodi community in Delta State with the velocity of the blast shaking apartments in the community amidst a huge ball of fire,"

"The trunk line known as Trans Ramos belongs to the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC)", he specified.

"At sunrise, a group from the community in company of the SPDC surveillance team was able to locate the site of the blast," he said.

Another resident who did not want to be identified told AFP the pipeline had been previously targeted by militants.

"Precisely on the 22nd of this month, there was a failed attempt to attack the same facility, hence we were expecting that security in the area would have been tightened, but we are really disappointed that they succeeded this time," he said.

There were no details available about the damage or any possible casualties.

Shell officials could not immediately confirm the incident and no group has claimed responsibility. There is a possibility that the notorious Niger Delta Avengers group could be responsible for the attacks after proving recalcitrant in recent times.

 

This fresh attack may nullify claims of a progressive negotiation as stated by MEND in its recent statement.