Why We're Hitting Oil Facilities, By Militants

Akanimo Sampson

Why We're Hitting Oil Facilities, By Militants

APPARENTLY piqued by the problematic national question in Nigeria some 50 years after independence, militants of the Niger Delta say they are embarking on a fresh struggle to cripple the country's economy with a view to extract autonomy for the oil and gas region.

A news report by AkanimoReports says a top functionary of the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), an insurgent network, who made this known in an on-line interview with them on Friday, said they are not also happy with the way the cabal that smuggled in the ailing President Umaru Yar'Adua snubbed the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan, their kinsman.

Jonathan was not only kept in the dark about the return of Yar'Adua, over 300 soldiers were deployed to the airport without his knowledge and directive as the supposed Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the federation.

The JRC has announced that they are perfecting plans on how to defeat Nigeria, liberate their territory and build an independent Niger Delta State.

To this end, Spokesperson for the insurgents, Mr. Bakabio Walter, said, ''new pre-emptive strikes are being carried out in various parts of our territory. The latest being the explosion and attack on the heavily guarded Agip Tura Manifold, linking Tebidaba, Obama and Brass Tank Farm, at Agbara Field at about 4:05am on Wednesday, March 3, 2010''.

According to him, ''our revolutionary fighters overpowered soldiers of the occupation force of the Nigerian State (JTF), before going ahead to blow up the Agip Tura Manifold. The soldiers surrendered immediately and were not harmed in the process keeping to the rules of engagement. They declared support for our revolution and were allowed to go on the spot. As we speak now crude oil is flowing on the Brass River for independent verification''.

A day earlier at about 12:34am on Tuesday, March 2, 2010, troops loyal to the JRC allegedly attacked and blew up the Kokori Flow Station operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at Eroike community in the Western part of Niger Delta.

''These are effective follow ups to earlier actions in February signalling the commencement of the current lap of Niger Delta independence struggle. Our strategy is to reduce the export capacity of the occupation Nigerian State to zero and weaken their financial strength before our guerilla army will be unleashed to chase them out of our territory'', the insurgents said.

''By this statement'', they went on, ''we are calling on all Niger Delta youths to come and enlist in the Revolutionary Army of Niger Delta. Also, all soldiers in the Nigerian Army of Niger Delta descent should resign enmasse and come and join our Army for we shall surely defeat Nigeria.

''Furthermore, we demand the immediate vacation of all the International Oil Companies (IOCs) operating in the Niger Delta territory pending future negotiations with the emerging Niger Delta Authority. We also call on all diplomatic missions to Nigeria to close all thier facilities and evacuate all their nationals from the Niger Delta Territory not later than two weeks from now so that they will not be caught in the line of fire. We are not at war with them but with the Nigerian State''.

ENDS

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