NIGER DELTA MILITANTS ATTACK MORE OIL FACILITIES

•Chevron may shut down operations
•Ex-militants regroup, move into creeks
The Niger Delta region moved closer to armed hostilities yesterday following more attacks on oil facilities by youths believed to be supporters  of  ex-militant Government Ekpemupolo (alias Tompolo).
The latest attacks were launched with General Purpose Machine-guns (GPMG) by youths in several boats.
They were apparently reacting to last Thursday’s order by a Federal High Court for the arrest of Tompolo in connection with an alleged N34billion fraud.
Residents of the riverside communities said the militants paraded weapons more in number and sophistication than those used in previous crises.

Oil and gas pipelines in the creeks of Gbaramatu and Ugborodo areas of Warri South West and those in Egbema, North local government areas respectively of Delta state were struck in yesterday’s attacks.
“The gas pipeline, which runs from Olero creeks to Escravos were destroyed in the latest attack. Several crude lines were sabotaged while Makaraba, Otunana (Uton-Nana), Abiteye and Dibi flow stations were bombed,” one source said.
“The pipeline, which conveys gas from Saghara to Chevron, was also destroyed and there are several persons trapped in the communities. “The kind of explosives and bombs they used are not like those of before; the effects were felt in several communities as they went off intermittently.”
The facilities destroyed included those of the Nigerian Gas Company, Chevron NIGERIA Limited and NECONDE among others.
It was learnt that the attacks could spread to Bayelsa and other states of the region within days, as the perpetrators plan to cripple crude oil production and export.
There were indications that some operations of Chevron Nigeria were disrupted in the latest attacks.
The company was forced to airlift its workers on Friday after militants blocked the waterways and restricted movement of transport boats, including Chevron’s Jascon transport boat.
Although the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta was said to be fully prepared to deal with the onslaughts, the militants operated unhindered for several hours yesterday.
It was gathered that the attacks started in the wee hours of the day.