Suspected ex-militants blow up Shell pipeline in Bayelsa

24 March 2012, Sweetcrude, YENAGOA – SUSPECTED ex-militants, weekend, bombed a crude oil pipeline belonging to Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNPECo) in Bayelsa State. But, a SNEPCo official said the company was not aware of the incident.

The bombing, Friday night, destroyed the SNEPCo oil pipeline, which supplies crude to Egbomoturu Flow Station in Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

The bombers said they blew up the crude oil pipeline because of Federal Government’s refusal to create space for them (ex-militants) in the amnesty programme.

Corporate Media Relations Manager at SNEPCo, Mr. Tony Okonedo, said there was no report of destruction of the company’s pipeline by those in the operations unit.

A text message and calls by our reporter to the media coordinator of the Joint Task Force, codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, Lt.

Col. Antigha, were not answered, but one “General Commander” Bosewe, who said he was calling from the Thick Forest, called, Saturday, claiming that he sent out the boys that carried out the bombing.

Bosewe, who spoke in Pidgin English, said he had stationed his men in Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers States to blow up oil facilities in the region in the next 10 days, adding that the only thing that would quench the wrath of the group was inclusion of his group of second and third phase ex-militants in the amnesty programme.