Niger Delta Avengers has on Wednesday claimed responsibility for blowing up two major oil wells, belonging to Chevron Nigeria Limited at Dibi, Delta State.
The affected wells were RMP 23 and RMP 24,
Announcing the attacks on its twitter handle @NDAvengers says: “With the heavy presence of 100 gunboats, 4 warships and jet bombers, NDA blew up Chevron Oil Well RMP 23 and RMP 24, 3:44AM this 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. #Boom”.
The announcement came a day after President Muhammadu Buhari said he would take all necessary steps to secure oil facilities and other government assets in the Niger Delta region.
Buhari on Tuesday told a meeting in Abuja, “You will agree with me that two major reasons why our economy is in such a deplorable condition is the slump in crude oil prices. It is also due to decline in production as a result of the recent upsurge in activities of criminals and saboteurs in the oil producing region.
“While our doors are open to dialogue, political and non-military solution on the matter, this government will not succumb to intimidation and blackmail by criminal element, coming to inflict further unnecessary social and economic hardship on the citizens.’’
Nigerian government has announced that it will go into negotiation with militants in the area, but there are no indication that the the announcement will stop the attacks anytime soon.
The group, in a statement by its spokesman, Brig-Gen Mudoch Agbinibo, on Tuesday, said it remains undeterred by the heavy presence of the military presence in some parts of Delta state, adding that the troops deployment would not stop them from their planned action that would shock the whole world.
The group also voiced out its concerns on suffering the military deployment had brought on people residing in Ijaw communities.
“It is not our business what goes on in Gbaramatu Kingdom but our concern is the innocent children, women and aged people whom the Nigerian military has chased away from their homes now taking refuge in the forest.”
It described the military invasion of Gbaramatu Kingdom as the handwork of people benefiting from contracts for pipeline surveillance.
“The question is, why the innocent people of Gbaramatu, why the innocent pregnant women, why unleash terror on the aged people of Gbaramatu? Must you waste all these innocent blood just to secure the pipeline surveillance job?
