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Nigeria: Yar'Adua Dumps Niger Delta Summit
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Daily Champion (Lagos)
18 July 2008
Posted to the web 18 July 2008
Toni Ita Etim
Lagos
The insurgence of Niger Delta militants continued yesterday, as unidentified gunmen blew up the Tebidaba oil pipeline, belonging to Italian oil giant, Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), in Southern Ijaw local government area of Bayelsa state.
The attack caught the operatives of the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) unaware as the gunmen used substances suspected to be dynamite in the operation. No casualties were recorded at press time.
The incident is coming barely a day after the management of construction giant Julius Berger Plc, temporality shut down its operations in the Niger Delta, following last Friday's abduction of two of its staff.
Reacting to the incident, Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, accused indigenes of the Tebidaba community of sabotage, saying the amount of crude affected is small.
His allegation may not be unconnected with recent threat by some aggrieved youths in the troubled area over alleged violation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) entered with the Agip.
He said: "Some community members went into the forest where the pipeline is located and under the cover of night blew it up. The amount of crude affected was not too significant."
He said the attack shut about 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day but the pipeline could be repaired in the next few days. The pipeline is connected to the Brass River export crude terminal, operated by Eni.
Contacted, JTF Commander in Bayelsa State, Lt. Col. Christopher Musa, confirmed the attack, saying the assailants are yet to be identified. He stated that security agents were determined to arrest the culprits and made to face the law.
Already, the state chapter of the Niger Delta Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee, headed by Chief James Jephathah, is collating reports from the scene of the explosion. According to its media officer,, Alphine Ogor, "We are aware of the incident but would not be able to give details at the moment," he said.
Meanwhile, the JTF has arrested 11 suspected militants in Rivers state.
Daily Champion gathered that the suspected were arrested Thursday morning by Sector 111 of JTF stationed at Ahoada.
According to security sources, men of the JTF received an intelligence report of militant activities in Okaki area of Ahoada West Local government area and the soldiers embarked on a cordoned and search operation.
As the soldiers were approaching were the militants were operating, the boys opened fire on the soldiers and during an exchange of gun fire one of the suspect was killed and another wounded while 11 others were arrested.
Musa, confirmed the incident and declared that there was no casualty on the part of the task force.
Musa told our correspondent that a locally made pistol, a fez cap and an outboard engine were recovered from the suspects while two boats loaded with illegally bunkered petroleum products were destroyed by the soldiers.
In a related development, JTF operatives rescued a female student that was kidnapped for rape by a suspected militant gang in Okrika.
Musa told Daily Champion that acting on a tip off soldiers stormed the gang's hide out and rescued the lady.
The female student (name withheld) is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt while two of the gang members arrested by the soldiers are undergoing interrogation at the Bori Camp Headquarters of the 2nd Amphibious Brigade, Port Harcourt.
Meanwhile Normu Yobo, elder brother of Everton defender Joseph Yobo who was kidnapped 12 days ago (July 5) has been released.
Normu was released about midnight Wednesday at an undisclosed location in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
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As at the time of writing this report it was not known whether the family paid a ransom and how much was paid and what was the grouse of Normu abductors.
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