More oil woes as militants blow up Chevron’s wells

Nigeria’s oil production suffered another decline as the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, attacked Chevron’s facilities, yesterday.


This came as leaders of besieged Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, yesterday, and called on the Federal and Delta State governments, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, and other humanitarian organizations to come to the assistance of thousands of refugees of the current crisis in the kingdom.

This is even as Niger Delta elders raised the alarm that some unpatriotic but powerful individuals with an agenda to destabilise President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and return Nigeria to the dark days, are responsible for the spate of bombings of oil facilities in the area, using a faceless group known as Niger Delta Avengers.

The NDA attacked Chevron’s oil wells at Dibi, Warri North Local Government Area, while soldiers, who had laid siege to Oporoza and other Gbaramatu communities in Warri South West Local Government Area, in the last five days, were carrying out cordon-and-search operations for arms and ammunition.

Ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo, who seems to be the chief target of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, in a statement, claimed he had relocated from Gbaramatu Kingdom, but it appears the military does not believe him.

NDA claims responsibility Claiming responsibility for the attack, Niger Delta Avengers on its twitter handle @NDAvengers, said: “With the heavy presence of 100 gunboats, 4 warships and jet bombers, NDA blew up Chevron oil well RMP 23 and RMP 24 at 3. 44 am this (yesterday) morning.

“This is to show the whole world that the Nigeria military is good in harassing innocent Nigerians. RMP 24 and RMP 23 are Chevron swamp highest producing wells.

” Confirming the incident, a security staff of the company told Vanguard on phone that the head office of the company had been contacted on the incident and efforts were on to curtail the spill. A source told Vanguard:

“It was in Warri North, Egbema Kingdom, at Opia/Ikia axis, around Dibi/Olero. It started from around 3:15 a.m. until around 4:45 a.m. this morning (yesterday). There was no shoot-out heard.”