MEND Promises To Attack Shell Facilities

San Francisco Feb 02, (THEWILL) – The main rebel group operating in the Niger Delta, The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) on Tuesday said the damage to Royal Dutch Shell Trans-Ramos pipeline was caused by explosives detonated by militants and said it would strike the pipeline again and other oil facilities in the area in the coming weeks.

Shell and the military Joint Task Force (JTF) have said the damage to the pipeline was caused by oil thieves.

MEND in a statement said: "The military joint taskforce in collaboration with Shell denied the attack on the Trans-Ramos pipeline was an act of sabotage, claiming it was an attempt to steal crude oil," MEND said in an emailed statement.

"No bunkerer breaches pipelines with explosives as in this attack. MEND hereby promises to revisit the Trans-Ramos pipeline, which we attacked in June last year, after it has been repaired as well as other oil facilities in the Niger Delta in the coming weeks," Gbomo Jomo said.

Though MEND remains weakened by the central government’s amnesty deal accepted by most of its fighters, pundits say the group still has the capacity to disrupt oil production in the region.