Multiple explosions rock NNPC's pipelines in Delta

Rampaging Niger Delta militants on Thursday night continued with their onslaught on oil facilities across the region, blowing up several crude and gas pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) around Batan community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The incident, The AUTHORITY on Saturday gathered occurred at about 11:52 Thursday night close to Egwa1, an oil well, a little distance from a military checkpoint in the area.
Although, the number of affected pipelines could not be immediately ascertained, military sources told our correspondent that over five pipelines being operated by the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Ltd both subsidiaries of NNPC were torched.
This is coming when oil companies in the region were still gasping over Wednesday’s attacks on Chevron Electricity field line, as a group, Niger Delta Avengers continue with their terror on the nation’s valuable assets. It was learnt that the attacks were severe as the gas pipelines affected in the Thursday’s attack are linked to West Africa’s biggest Utorogun Gas Plant in Iwhrekan, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
NDA claimed responsibility for the attack in a tweet, while threatening to rain further havoc on facilities owned by both international and indigenous oil companies. The militants’ tweet said, “At 11:45pm on Thursday @ NDAvengers blew up other #NNPC Gas and Crude trunk line close to Warri. Pipeline that was heavily guarded by Military.
To the IOCs, Indigenous Oil Companies and Nigeria Military, watch out something big is about to happen and it will shock the whole world. “The Niger Delta stakeholder’s meeting is an insult to the people of Niger Delta.
What we need is a Sovereign State not pipeline Contracts.” No going back on sovereign state – NDA Meanwhile, the militants have vowed to continue until the nation’s economy is crippled and a sovereign state of Niger Delta is created for their people by the United Nations (UN).
NDA’s spokesman, Mudoch Agbinibo, in a statement to mark this year’s Children’s Day accused successive governments in the country of using ‘unscrupulous policies’ to deny children of the region the opportunity to harness their childhood potentials.
 It said: “The children of the Niger Delta region is missing by deliberate policies of every successive Nigeria Government. “If you plant honesty, you will reap trust; if you plant goodness, you will reap friendship; if you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
Childhood means unlimited opportunities for children. This is what the Nigeria government has refused to give you the children of the Niger Delta.
 “But what they have refused to give to you is what we (Niger Delta Avengers) are promising you”. Attacks now beyond our control – INC Seriously worried by ongoing bombing, Ijaw National Congress (INC) yesterday began consultation with Ijaw leaders towards ending the impasse, lamenting that the situation was getting out of hands.
The Ijaw apex body led by its National SecretaryGeneral, Dr Bello Orubebe noted that the move was in order to pacify aggrieved youths who recently returned to the creeks. INC also advised Niger Delta youths, especially the Niger Delta Avengers and other affiliate groups to halt the attacks on oil installations to allow the process of consultations and dialogue on its demands.
“The INC hereby states that it is yet to be communicated to by the present Federal Government despite our identification of seeming fundamental issues that border on the Ijaw question, prominent among them are the continued refusal to kick-start the Maritime University at Okerenkoko, proper budgeting for the Niger Delta intervention agencies and the unfortunate witchhunt of Ijaws in the name of fight against corruption”.