- Say more critical assets to go down lPolice detectives arrest 54 militants in Edo
The Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate yesterday blew up the Afiesere- Iwhrenene major delivery line in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State. The pipeline leads to the UPS/UQCC being operated by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) shorelines. NPDC is a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
The militant group, which disowned foremost Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark, three weeks ago, as the middleman in the ongoing negotiation between the militants and Federal Government, bombed the delivery line at about 1a.m. yesterday.
The spokesperson of the militant group, Aldo Agbalaja, who claimed responsibility for the attack, in a signed statement, said the militants would continue to bomb oil and gas installations until the Niger Delta questions are answered. The militants warned residents living around major oil 
pipelines in the upland region of the state to immediately vacate the areas or face the consequences.
“As a mark of our faith to totally ground the Nigerian oil economy, the gallant “OPUDO” strike forces brought down the Afiesere- Iwhrenene major delivery line in Ughelli North, leading to the UPS/ UQCC operated by NPDC/ Shorelines at about 1a.m. today, (Tuesday) September 13, 2016. “The Niger Delta is not a conquered territory and our people have never succumbed to intimidation before, rather, we match force with the oppressor’s brutality. The Nigerian government should know that the people of this part are not fools, who will not be able to see when they are being treated with disdain.
“The High Command of the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, once again, says to the deceptive and untrustworthy Nigerian government and its cowardly armed forces that our people shall not deal with you on your terms, but on mutual terms,” the militants stated in a statement.
The group threatened that more delivery lines would soon go down and its ‘Operation Crocodile Tears’ would persist, unless the Federal Government dropped its deceptive, master-servant and divideand- rule strategy against the people of the region. The group lamented that major oil and gas facilities, which should have been destroyed, were still functioning and wondered why indigenes and residents of the oil bearing communities turned deaf ears to their warnings to vacate to safer places.
“Our patience is running out on our people living close to major oil and gas facilities in the upland areas of our region, the more critical assets of the oil sector are still alive because we are being careful not to hurt our people,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 54 militants from the riverine communities of the Niger Delta have been arrested by a crack team of policemen deployed from Force Headquarters, Abuja, to different locations in the last three days. It will be recalled that three former militant leaders were arrested last weekend with two AK47 assault rifles in Edo State.
The militants were said to have invaded the state through the riverine communities in the state. They were arrested in a popular hotel in Benin, the state capital, and Okada town in Ovia South West council area even as top chiefs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to secure their release, but it was resisted by security agents. It was gathered that during the clampdown on the armed group in the oil-rich states, several dangerous weapons, including AK47 and pump actions guns and about N9 million were recovered from the militants.
Members of the militia group were said to have in- vaded Edo State from the neighbouring states with a view to causing trouble during the postponed September 10 governorship election. One of our correspondents learnt that the ongoing covert operation of the police crack team was at the instance of the Inspector- General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. This followed covert plot uncovered by security operatives that hoodlums from the Niger Delta had planned to unleash terror on Edo State, which led to the sudden postponement of the governorship election last week.
Besides, the police detectives were being assisted by the intelligence unit of the Nigerian Army and the Department of the State Services (DSS). New Telegraph’s findings showed that 13 of the suspected militants have been listed for arraignment before a high court in Benin today.
Governor Adams Oshiomhole had earlier raised the alarm alleging the registration of more than 8,000 militants by governors of states in the region and the invasion of the state by the militants also on the invitation of the PDP leaders in the state. The state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Henry Idahagbon, who confirmed the arrest, said “some of the suspected militants will be charged to court today.”
– New Telegraph
