Militants Attack Eni Oil Pipeline In Bayelsa

Militants Attack Eni Oil Pipeline In Bayelsa

 

Residents at Ikeinghenbiri community in Southern
Ijaw council, Bayelsa are fleeing the area following
a clash between rival armed groups at an oilfield
operated by Eni’s Nigerian subsidiary Agip Oil
Company (NAOC).

A resident said Sunday that the groups were
struggling for control of the Ogboinbiri-Tebidaba
crude trunk line which passed through the area.

Mr. Ebidimo Joseph said that residents were scared
and were leaving to neighbouring villages for cover.

“We understand it is a conflict between two armed
groups for the access to the crude pipeline, one
group claims to be working to safeguard the
pipeline and said the other group are vandals; they
have been shooting.

“The sound of the gunfire is scary, and there is no
sign of the Joint Task Force soldiers who are
supposed to be patrolling the area, we have not
seen any soldier,” Joseph said
According to Joseph, the pipeline was set ablaze
while the two groups engaged each other in the gun
battle adding that there was no way to ascertain if
there was any casualty yet.

He said that a thick ‘cloud of smoke’ had
enveloped the community and polluted the
atmosphere in the area.

Efforts to get comments from Col. Isa Ado,
Spokesman of the Joint military force deployed to
protect oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta were
futile as he declined to take calls to his mobile
phone.

Col. Ado also did not reply to text messages
requesting for comments

http://saharareporters.com/2016/05/22/residents-
flee-rival-militants-attack-eni-oil-pipeline-bayelsa