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| Niger Delta quakes harder: Explosion rocks Afiesere pipelines. Ijaw Youths convene to discuss freedom from Nigeria |
The Niger Delta is beginning to quake harder. The rumbling across the region intensified today with the bombing of oil pipeline in Delta State.
Surprising the first salvo was fired from an unexpected quarters - from an unknown Urhobo militant group. This is coming as Ijaw youths convene to discuss Nigeria's unholy marriage.
The Urhobo Gbagbako, An Urhobo militant group, on Friday claimed responsibility for Thursday night’s bombing of the NPDC Oil pipelines at Ighrenene, Afiesere and Ekiugbo communities in Delta State.
The group made the claims in an email sent to some reporters declaring that they will shut down all the oil fields in Urhobo and Isoko areas.
In the email signed by the spokesperson of Urhobo Gbagbako, Priest Omodjuvwu, the group stated that the bombing of the Ekiugbo/Ighrenene/Afiesere was to draw attention to the neglect of ex-militants of Urhobo extraction.
It said the Urhobo had been sidelined in the pipelines protection contracts offered to ex-militants from other ethnic groups and they now want to show that they too had the capacity to cause trouble if ignored.
The group said it had sent warning signals to the NPDC and the federal government on the pipeline surveillance contracts, which had excluded the Urhobo.
Urhobo Gbagbako however dissociated itself from media reports about a 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government and NPDC on the oil pipeline surveillance contracts.
“We have now resumed attack on the NPDC pipeline facilities on a massive scale, which scale of bombings shall be unprecedented,” the email said.
The group said the attacks will continue until the Urhobo got what rightly belonged to them. It explained that Urhobo Gbagbako Group is a militia group of all ex-militants, youths, women and elders of Urhobo origin.
The Niger Delta is rumbling and Shell and other multinational oil companies are shaking. Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCO), has reportedly shut down its flow stations in Southern Ijaw and Ekeremor Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State due to anxiety that ex-militants may attack the facilities because of the outcome of the presidential election.
Meanwhile Ijaw Youths are convening to discuss their continued existence in Nigeria. In a press Statement made available to newsmen the Ijaw youths stated that the time has come for the Ijaws to chart a new course for themselves in the Nigeria contraption. According to the spokesman of the group Ekine Egbelekro: "Mr President's congratulatory message to President-Elect does not affect council collective decision therefore, all Ijaw sons and daughters are invited to a National Congress on Sunday 5th of April, 2015 at Otuama in Burutu LGA of Delta State. Come let's chart a new course as Ijaws in the unholy marriage called Nigeria."
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