Niger Delta Avengers launches multiple attacks on oil facilities

The Niger Delta Avengers on Sunday said it has launched a series of coordinated attacks on oil installations in the Niger Delta.

Oil installations belonging owned by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Chevron and NPDC were blown up in the attacks carried out between 9:15 pm on Friday night and 1:15am on Sunday, the group said on Twitter.

At 9:15pm on Friday the @NDAvengers blow up Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Crude Oil Trunk Line to Warri Refinery.



— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) July 2, 2016

At 11:26pm on Saturday @NDAvengers blow up two NPDC major crude trunk lines close to Batan flowstation in Delta state.

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) July 3, 2016

ALL FIVE OPERATIONS WAS CARRIED OUT BY @NDAvengers STRIKE TEAM. WELL DONE SOLDIERS.

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) July 3, 2016

At 1:15am on Sunday @NDAvengers blow up two major Chevron Oil Wells. WELL 7 and WELL 8 close to Abiteye flow station in Delta state.

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) July 3, 2016


The Niger Delta Avengers are a new militant group who started attacking oil and gas infrastructure early this year in Nigeria’s oil-rich but poor southern swamplands.
The group had indicated  its willingness to enter talks with the government on an end to the attacks, on condition that independent foreign mediators were involved. This after initially declining an offer of dialogue from the government.

Like previous militant groups before them, the Avengers are fighting for a greater share of the country’s oil revenues and greater political autonomy.

But the group has stressed it only targets oil infrastructure, not people.

The sabotage has gored Nigeria’s economy — the central bank governor has said a recession is “imminent” — and pushed up the global price of oil.

Restoring peace to the Niger delta is one way to get the country’s economy back on track.

Last week Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari met with a delegation from the Niger delta and issued a press release pledging to “rebuild” the region.

Previous militants had stopped waging war in the creeks after the introduction of a costly amnesty program in 2009.