Militant Group Claims Responsibility for NPDC Pipeline Bombing in Delta

• Warns against bombing of more oil facilities

Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba

Unrepentant Isoko/Urhobo militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), in a surprise announcement yesterday, claimed it was behind the attack on the 42 inch delivery line operated by NPDC/ND Western in Otu-Jeremi, Delta State, over the weekend.

The militant group said its fighters, codenamed ‘Akuma Strike Force Team’, bombed the facility at about 4 o’clock last Sunday.

But the Joint Task Force (JTF), code-named Operation Delta Safe, dismissed the claim, insisting that it was bush burning that sparked the fire which eventually caused the explosion in the old pipeline.

Acting spokesman of JTF, Lieutenant Commander, Thomas Otuji, said: “It was a case of bush burning that ignited an old pipeline, no such attacks was carried out on the pipeline.”

The militant group, in a statement by its spokesman, ‘Gen’ Aldo Agbalaja, entitled: ‘Not Uhuru Yet’, said the attack was to “register our presence and jolt those probably slipping into delusion back to reality that they were yet to relax the agitation.”

The militant group said it would not be deterred by military offensive in the region to halt its pipeline attacks, threatening to fight on “till the last man alive.”

Agbalaja however warned the federal government against patronising conmen, political jobbers, grandstanding and those parading themselves as the “lords of Warri, whose stock in trade has always been using the struggle for profiteering.

“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 0400hour last Sunday, brought down the 42 inch delivery line operated by NPDC/ND Western in Otu-Jeremi.

“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 till 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, parading themselves as the ‘lords of Warri’, have forgotten that this campaign goes well beyond their purview or grasp.
“Our advice to the federal government is to be wary of who they give attention to in the desperation to get the oil from our soil to flow unhindered.

“Be wary of these political jobbers, whose stock in trade has always been using the struggle to profit themselves. 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.”
Militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, has warned that it was breaking its weeks of silence by resuming attacks on more oil installations in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.

The militia gave the warning in an e-mailed statement claiming that it’s strike force destroyed a certain 42-inch delivery pipeline in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State in the early hours of yesterday.
It said the delivery line is operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/ND Western in Otu-Jeremi, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli South.

The group said via a statement yesterday by its spokesman, “General” Aldo Agbalaja, titled: ‘Not Uhuru Yet,’ that the seeming lull in its activities in a couple of weeks was because it receded for “strategy session.”
The statement read in part: “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 04.00hours today, November 27 (28?) brought down the 42-inch delivery line operated by NPDC/ND WESTERN in Otu-Jeremi.”

It also decried what it called “calculated psychological attack recently initiated by the Nigerian security forces against our people,” saying it was bent on fighting till the last man.
The group also reiterated its lack of faith in the ongoing negotiation between the Chief Edwin K. Clark’s group of Niger Delta stakeholders and the federal government, saying the negotiations could not bring about the desired enduring peace in the Niger Delta.

According to the statement, “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 till 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.

“Our advice goes to the federal government, to be wary of who they give attention to in the desperation to get the oil from our soil to flow unhindered. Be wary of these 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.”