AVENGERS AND THEIR GRUESOME ATTACKS ON OIL FACILITIES

.•Diary of attacks.

In what appears to be the return of militancy in the volatile Niger Delta region by the resurgence of a group known as  Niger Delta Avengers that have vowed to cripple the Nigerian economy since January 2016.

The group have in their various claims and threats warned that their operation is codenamed ” Operation Zero Economy ” and have vowed severally that they will stop at nothing until the economy is totally finished, while also accusing the Federal Government of not being sincere in addressing the Niger Delta question as they would want dialogue with dignity and honour.

The Federal Government in the midst of the prevailing economic disaster that have plagued the  region seems not to be so clear in the face of the insecurity bedevilling the region. A situation where the President would say one thing, the Vice would say the other and each minister and special advisers saying different thing.

The return of full blown militancy in the Niger Delta Region that have had a devastating effect on the country’s economy precipitated by members of Niger Delta Avengers have actually prompted Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper to take a deeper study on the serial attacks on Oil installations.

A situation that have kept pundits wondering on what next from the Federal Government and that of the Niger Delta Avengers.

Bellow is our report on their different attacks on Oil installations across the Country since the group emerged to vent their anger on Pipelines.

January 14 -Several gas pipelines and oil installations located in Warri South West were blown up.

February 10 – At approximately 1:30am NDA militants blew up the Bonny-Soku Gas Export Line.

February 14 – NDA militants destroyed Shell ‘s underwater Forcados 48-inch Export Pipline at the Forcados Export Terminal.

February 19 – At approximately 3:30am NDA militants blew up Eni’s Clough Creek-Tebidaba Pipeline in Bayelsa State .

May 4- NDA militants carried out twin attacks :

The hostility heavily damaged the Chevron Valve Platform located at Abiteye, Warri South . This platform is reportedly Chevron’s most significant platform as it serves as a connecting point where all of Chevron’s other Niger Delta platforms link-up.

Shell’s underwater Forcados 48-inch Export Pipeline was once again blown up by militants shortly after repairs commenced following the February 14 attack.

May 5th saw twin attacks on national assets by the group :

The Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System, linking Warri to Lagos was blown up by NDA militants.

The NDA’s Strike Team 7 launched a coordinated attack on several Chevron oil installations located in Abiteye, resulting in the destruction of Chevron Well D25 and several other major pipelines in the area.

May 6 –  Witnessed twin attacks on pipelines :

The crude oil pipeline linking Warri to Kaduna was blown up by the NDA’s Strike Team 7 as well as a gas line that supplies both Lagos and Abuja with electricity.

Oil pipelines located near the villages of Alero, Dibi, Otunana, and Makaraba were blown up by the NDA’s Strike Team 7.

May 9 – 3 Nigerian soldiers were killed during a shootout with NDA militants in the village of Foropa, Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa.

May 13 – The Chevron pipeline at Makaraba was blown up for a second time in 7 days following repairs done by Chevron.

May 20 – The Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System was once again blown up by NDA militants following the commencement of repairs being done on the pipeline following the May 5th attack.

May 25 – NDA militants blew up Chevron’s main electricity feed pipeline, located at the Escravos Tank Farm at Ciera Creek.

May 27  twin attacks was carried out by the NDA:

At approximately 2:15am the group  blew Eni and Shell’s pipelines 1, 2, and 3 located at Nembe , Bayelsa State.

At approximately 11:45pm NDA militants blew up several gas and oil pipelines belong to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation located near Warri.

May 30 – NDA militants were forced to retreat from the villages of Gulobokri and Eweleso, Brass following a series of clashes with Nigerian soldiers, resulting in the deaths of approximately 20 civilians, 2 police officers, and an unknown number of militants/Nigerian soldiers.

May 31 – At approximately 3:44am Chevron’s Oil Wells RMP23 and RMP24 located near the village of Dibi, Warri South-West, Chevron’s highest producing wells in the Niger Delta, were blown up by NDA militants.

June 1 – Five boats loaded with heavily armed militants attacked a houseboat near the village of Ijere, Warri South, where Nigerian soldiers were reportedly stationed. 2 Nigerian soldiers and 4 civilians were killed during the attack. The NDA claims they were not behind the attack and stated they will “bring the culprits to book”.

June 2 – At approximately 2:00am NDA militants blew up the Ogboinbiri-Tebidaba and Cough Creek-Tebidaba pipelines, belonging to Eni, in Bayelsa State.

June 3 – At approximately 3:00am NDA militants blew up Shell’s Forcados 48-inch Export Pipeline for a third time following a series of repairs done by Royal Dutch Shell.

June 3 – At approximately 3:30am NDA militants blew up Eni’s Brass-Tebidaba oil pipeline in Bayelsa State.

June 8 – At approximately 1:00am NDA militants blew up Chevron’s Well RMP20, located 20 meters from the Dibi Flow Station in Warri North LGA.

June 9 – At approximately 8:00pm NDA militants blew up the Chanomi Creek oil facility, belonging to Royal Dutch Shell, near the village of Ogidigben, Warri South West.

June 10 – At approximately 3:00am NDA militants blew up the Obi Obi Brass trunk line, belonging to Eni. It is one of Eni’s most significant crude oil pipelines in Bayelsa State.

June 16 – At approximately 4:00am NDA militants blew up a crude oil pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Oruk Anam LGA, Akwa Ibom.

July 1 – At approximately 9:15pm NDA militants blew up a crude oil trunk line belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation linked to the Warri refinery.

July 2 – At approximately 11:26pm an NDA “Strike Team” blew up two major crude oil trunk lines belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, located near the Batan flow station in Delta State.

July 3 – At approximately 1:15am NDA militants blew up Chevron Wells 7 and 8, located near the Abiteye flow station in Warri South West LGA.

July 5 – The group carried out twin attacks on Oil installations:

At approximately 10:00pm NDA militants blew up Chevron Well 10, located near the Otunana flow station.

Again at approximately 11:15pm NDA militants blew up a manifold belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, located near Batan as well as two crude oil trunk lines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company.

July 6 – Between the hours of 10:50pm and 11:10pm an NDA “strike team” blew up Chevron manifolds RMP 22, 23 and 24 in Delta State. These manifolds are major convergence points for numerous crude oil pipelines operated by Chevron Corp.

July 8 – Between the hours of 3:00am and 5:00am NDA militants blew up Nembe pipelines 1, 2, and 3, belonging to Shell and Eni, in Bayelsa State while simultaneously blowing up the Brass-Tebidaba trunk line in Rivers State.

July 11 – At approximately 7:30pm NDA militants blew up ExxonMobile’s “Qua Iboe 48” crude oil pipeline in Akwa Ibom

Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper learnt that from January 14th when the group launched its first attack on Oil installations in the Niger Delta Region to July 11th, the NDA have carried out several economically gruesome and coordinated attacks in the Niger Delta region.

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