There seems to be no solution in sight to the crisis in the Niger Delta region as a new militant group, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate (NDGJM), Wednesday claimed that it has breached a major trunk/delivery pipeline to the Eriemu manifold in Urhoboland belonging to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and Shoreline Resources.

The militant group, which claimed to be agitating for the people of upland – the host communities to oil facilities – said they had been left out of previous negotiations between the federal government and riverine communities which host the same facilities in the past.

The group had announced its emergence last Tuesday with 48 hours ultimatum to all the oil multinationals still in the upland of the region-Agip, Total, SHELL, Mobil, Shorelines, NECONDE, E.D Western, SEPLAT and others to evacuate their personnel from the region, especially in the Ogba/Egi axis of Rivers State, Urhobo/Isoko/Ndokwa axis of Delta State and other upland oil producing areas.

It also threatened to blow up Warri and Port Harcourt refineries as well as Utorogun gas plants in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State.

To establish its seriousness, the militant group claimed that it brought down a major trunk/delivery line from Isoko to Eriemo manifold in Urhobo at about 2 p.m.

“As a mark of our seriousness and to prove we are people of our words, at about 0200hours of August 10, 2016, operatives of the NDGJM brought down a major trunk/delivery line from Isoko to the Eriemu Manifold in Urhobo land, belonging to the NPDC/Shoreline Resources,” it claimed.

In a statement titled: ‘Operation Zero’ and signed by its spokesperson, Aldo Agbalaja, the group said: “One is down and countless more to go.

“The Central Operations Command of the NDGJM hereby announces the commencement of demolition and evacuation of the uplands tagged: ‘Operation zero’ to correct the wrongs that have afflicted our people for years, seek justice for the perpetually cheated and protect the identities of our people who are co-owners of the wealth which Nigeria has forever misappropriated,” it added.

The group warned operatives of the asset in NPDC/Shorelines not to effect any repairs on the breached trunk line until signals are given or else their personnel will be exposed to dangers.

“We would also want to use this medium to give a very strong warning to the operatives of the asset NPDC/Shorelines not to commence repairs pending when they get signals from us otherwise the inevitable may occur to their personnel as we have earlier warned them to begin evacuating the uplands,” it The group noted that the attack was just a glimpse of what would happen to other facilities penned down for destruction.

It declared: “This is just a glimpse of what is to come, there are several assets already penned down for destruction. This line of action has been made inevitable by an unjust system, which only responds to the violence, to the detriment of the peaceful and law abiding people.”

•Excerpted from a THISDAY report. Photo shows Niger Delta militants.

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