BEVERLY HILLS, CA, March 20, (THEWILL) – A militia group operating in Delta State Wednesday blew up an oil pipeline in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, belonging to American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited.
The relatively unknown group which calls itself the Egbema Radical Group blew up the Dibi-Abiteye oil pipeline, which feeds the Escravos oil stream in Warri South West LGA. The extent of the damage was not immediately known as at the time of filing this report.
THEWILL gathered that the incident occurred around 2.am.
The group also threatened to wreck more havoc on oil wells and pipelines in the area as part of an uprising over alleged neglect and marginalization as well as a contentious battle over the chairmanship position of Warri North Council Area.
The group also threatened to frustrate Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s perceived Senatorial ambition over his alleged failure to address their grievance.
The militia group has been restive over alleged “political imbalance” and has frequently attacked oil pipelines and residents ostensibly to force the hand of government.
Local security sources told THEWILL that the militia group blew up the Dibi-Abiteye pipeline belonging to Chevron to “warn the Delta state government and Chevron.”
Last year, some unknown pro-Ijaw militants attacked civilians along Itsekiri communities, killing about four persons and wounding others as the uprising in the area gained traction.
The militants said they want “political equity and control” over the local government council which they alleged has been under the control of Itsekiris.
In an email to reporters, Ami Dada who claimed he was speaking for the group blamed their attack on the alleged refusal of Governor Uduaghan to implement a reported peace agreement it held with the Ijaws of Warri North over the “political imbalance in the area”.
“Uduaghan has deliberately refused to implement the peace agreement in Warri North and things have continued to be lopsided,” he said, adding “the Ijaw in the local government are marginalised and all political positions have passed over to the Itsekiris.”
“So long as this injustice continues there will be no peace and I can assure you that there will be no election in Warri North.
“Uduaghan should also forget his senatorial ambition because we won’t allow it to work”.
“Chevron should expect more attacks for the inequity it has been meting out in Warri North.
“We have graduates and well qualified people among the Ijaw in the local government area but Chevron has ignored our people as 99% all employment and contracts have gone to our Itsekiri neighbours.
“If Delta State and CNL fail to address the issues within 24 hours, it will lead to more deadly attacks. The next explosion could be a flow station”, the group further threatened.
Delta’s Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mofe Pira who spoke about the incident confirmed that there was a pipeline attack in Warri North early Wednesday morning but was silent on the alleged “political imbalance or agreement.”
“I am aware of an incident concerning a pipeline in Dibi. But I do not know of any agreement and have never seen or read any agreement of which the state government has reneged on, just as I am not aware if anybody is responsible for the pipeline incident,” the commissioner said.
All efforts to reach Chevron’s Sola Adebawo, Manager Communications, Policy, Government and Public Affairs to comment on the incident were unsuccessful.
THEWILL however recalls that militant groups had previously breached the Dibi-Abiteye pipeline severally, prompting Chevron to abandon the pipeline in 2010.
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