Militants blow up another pipeline in Delta

The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate has attacked another crude oil delivery line at Effurun-Otor, Ughelli South Council Area of Delta State.

The pipeline, which is operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, was brought down by the militants early Sunday morning.

Greenland Mandate, whose leader was arrested two weeks ago, said the attack was in rejection of Tuesday’s meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and some leaders of the region.

The group said it was not comfortable with some of the delegates in the Chief Edwin Clark-led Pan Niger Delta Forum.

It had also threatened to attack oil facilities in the region if the Federal Government decided to go ahead with the proposed meeting because it did not trust members of the Clark’s committee.

A statement claiming responsibility for the attack by the militants’ spokesman, Aldo Agbalaja, said the war against oil facilities in the region would not end until the government engaged true representatives of the people in a genuine dialogue.

According to the statement, “We are reiterating our unflinching belief that the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, being coordinated by E.K Clark, is a job and therefore can never get our support.

“Like we said before now, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is not opposed to a genuine dialogue between the Federal Government and the real representatives of the various ethnic groups of our region.”