23 April 2015, Ughelli – An Urhobo militant group, Urhobo Gbagbako, which claimed responsibility for series of pipeline explosions that recently rocked Ughelli, Delta State, communities, has issued a fresh ultimatum to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC and the Federal Government threatening further attacks if their demands for allotment of jobs in the pipeline surveillance contract were not met immediately.
The group, in a statement, threatened to launch more attacks on pipelines across the length and breadth of the 24 Urhobo kingdoms, warning the government against negotiating with Host Communities, HOSTCOM, on its behalf, adding that “HOSTCOM does not have the mandate of Urhobo communities to represent them.”
Claiming responsibility for an explosion that rocked an Ogor oil Pipeline on April 15, 2015, spokesman for the group, Priest Omodjuvwu, in an email, said: “Though the explosion was skeletal, it was a welcome development.”
The group, while listing its demands, asked the Federal Government to award to it, oil surveillance jobs of pipelines that run across the entire Urhoboland.
“We have identified these targeted assets to be worth billions of naira to both NPDC and Shorelines. Be rest assured that we remain committed to fighting this unfair treatment of our people to a logical conclusion until justice is done.
“Also, your continued dealings with traitors and enemies of our people in an attempt to find a solution to this matter, shall be met with stiff resistance and rejection of these companies on our land,” the statement added.
– Vanguard