Port Harcourt — Again, militants claimed on Tuesday night that it attacked Orubiri flow station owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) and a house boat with 10 naval personnel on board. But the Joint (military) Task Force (JTF) said it repelled the attack, with no casualty on its side.

Also, the group claimed it attacked the Rumuekpe trunk line jointly owned by Agip Oils and SPDC yesterday.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), which claimed responsibility for the attacks, yesterday said it would systematically knock out all oil facilities in Rivers State and other Niger Delta states.

MEND in a statement by its spokesperson, Gbomo Jomo, said it attacked the facility with its ally, the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF). It added that it had resolved its differences with NDVF.

"A very major trunk crude oil pipeline we believe may belong to both Agip and Shell has been blown up today, September 17, 2008 at about 0930 Hrs by our explosive specialists at Rumuekpe, in Rivers State of Nigeria.

"About 2200 Hrs on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF) in a new alliance attacked and destroyed the Orubiri flow station operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company in Rivers State of Nigeria.

"All the soldiers on guard were killed and provided more weapons for the campaign. Their houseboat was equally destroyed.

"Every group in the region have dropped their differences and come together to fight a common enemy who has used the instrument of state and the tactics of divide and rule to oppress the region for five decades.

"Soldiers and oil workers are advised to abandon all oil facilities including the offshore rigs of Bonga and Agbami as we want to minimise casualties before Hurricane Barbarossa arrives.

"Those who choose unwisely to remain will face the consequences of their decisions and should learn from their colleagues in the United States who evacuated ahead of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. A word is enough for the wise.

"If the Nigerian military is confident of its capabilities, let them be bold to take journalists and photographers to Orubiri to assess by themselves the aftermath of Barbarossa. We will henceforth begin documenting our raids by providing digital cameras and camcorders for each fighting unit," MEND said.

Responding, spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said that at about 11.35pmTuesday night, the militants in eight speed boats attacked the facilities but met stiff resistance from their men.

He, however, explained that since there was exchange of fire and the detonation of explosives, fire was ignited in the facility but quickly pointed out that there was no cause for alarm as everything was under control.