20 March 2014, Warri – Dibi pipeline, a major oil pipeline believed to be a facility of Chevron Nigerian Limited, was blown up Wednesday, with the Egbema Radical Group, ERG, in Warri North Local Government Artea, Delta State, claiming responsibility.
ERG, in a statement, claimed it carried out the attack around 2a.m., yesterday, saying that the action was to warn Delta State Government and Chevron to address the alleged neglect and marginalisation of Egbema Ijaw, who share Warri North Local Government Area with the Itsekiri in the state.
The group’s spokesman, Ami Dada, said the state governor “has deliberately refused to implement the peace agreement in Warri North and things have continued to be lopsided. The Ijaw in the local government area are marginalised and all political positions have been passed over to the Itsekiri. So long as this injustice continues, there will be no peace and I can assure you that there will be no election in Warri North. The governor should forget his senatorial ambition because we won’t allow it to work.
“Chevron should expect more attacks for the inequity it has been metting out in Warri North. We have graduates and well qualified people among the Ijaw in the local government area, but Chevron has ignored our people as 99 percent of its employees and contracts have gone to our Itsekiri neighbours.
“If Delta State and Chevron fail to address the issues within 24 hours, it will lead to more deadly attacks. The next explosion could be a flow station.”
Confirming the incident, Delta State Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Mofe Pira, said: “I am aware of a situation concerning a pipeline in Dibi, but I do not know of any agreement and have never seen or read any that government reneged on, just as I am not aware if anybody is responsible for the pipeline incident.”
When contacted, Victor Anyangbule, a media interface with Chevron in its Delta operations, said the company was putting up an official position, which had not been released at press time.
– Vanguard