Militants, Navy Face-Off: We’re Set To Crush Avengers -Navy …Oil Bloc Owners Must Leave -Militants

Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, casting his vote, during the state congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt on Tuesday

The  Nigerian Navy says, it has all it takes to flush out militancy in the Niger Delta region therefore reiterated its readiness to deal with resurgence of militancy in the  area. This is even as the new militant group, The Avengers have warned oil blocs owners to close shop.
The New Commanding Officer, Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba, who stated Navay’s readiness yesterday said, that the Navy has men and equipment to carry out the task.
However, only last week, the Navy lost four of its men escorting an oil services crew when suspected militants ambushed and opened fire on the crew, killing the four men and two civilians on board the boat.
Garba, therefore, said that the Central Naval Command under his leadership will pursue a zero tolerance stance against oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering in line with the strategic directive of the Chief of Naval Staff.
“I wish to emphasise that there will be no hiding place for oil thieves as the command has intensified patrol of her area of responsibility with recent delivery of more platforms by the Nigerian Navy.
“With the recent resurgence of pockets of militant activities, I wish to specifically call on these groups of people to desist from criminal activities capable of entrenching security breach in the Niger Delta.
“They have no constituency as all well meaning and law abiding Nigerians will not want to associate with the militants, I therefore urge these criminal gangs to revert to legitimate business or face the wrath of the law,” Garba said
The Flag Officer Commanding appealed to members of the public to report suspicious activities to security agencies in a timely manner for swift response to curb criminalities in the Niger Delta region.
Garba summoned a meeting with Unit Commanders of various components of the Central Naval Command shortly after assuming duties.
He said that he convened the meeting to assess the current performance of the command along with the expectations from the men and officers.
However, the Niger Delta Avengers, yesterday, listed some oil blocs allegedly owned by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Minister of Defence, General Theophilus Danjuma, ex-Minister of Petroleum, Alhaji Riwalnu Lukman, other Northerners and South-Westerners in Niger-Delta region, and issued them a two-week ultimatum to shut down their operations and evacuate the workers from the locations or have them blown up.
The militant group, pressing for a sovereign state of the Niger Delta, in an electronic mail statement by its spokesperson, Col Mudoch Agbinibo, forwarded to The Tide at 8.27 am, yesterday, warned: “If at the end of the ultimatum and you are still operating. we will blow up all the locations. It will be bloody. So, just shut down your operations and leave.”
The oil blocs listed are: “Apo Well awarded to Sapetro Oil owned by Gen Theophilus  Danjuma, and capable of producing 300,000 barrels per day and crude reserve of 500 million barrels, as well as Cavendish Petroleum operated OML 110 Obe oil field owned by Alhaji Mai Daribe, with an estimated 500 million barrel of crude oil. And Akpo condensate field awarded to Sapetro Oil owned by Gen Theophilus Damjuma.
The rest are OML 112 and OML 117 awarded to AMNI International Petroleum Development Company owned by Colonel Sanni Bello, son-in-law to former Head of State, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, OML 115 also known as Oldwok field and Ebok field awarded to Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, in-law to former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, and OML 215 awarded to and operated by Nor East Petroleum Limited owned by one Alhali Saleh Mohammed Gambo, with a net worth of $100 billion after tax.
Others are, OML 108 awarded to Express Petroleum Company owned by Alhaji Aminu Dantata, worth $128 billion, OML 113 allocated to Yinka Folawiyo Petroleum Limited owned by Alhaji W. I. Folawiyo, worth $150 billion, $110 billion worth ASUOKPU/UMUTU marginal oil fields, owned by Prince Nasiru Ado Bayero, cousin to the Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanisu, as well as Intels, owned by Atiku Abubakar, Yar’Adua and Ado Bayero, with substantial stakes in oil and gas exploration in the Niger Delta.
They also indicated that former Minister of Petroleum and OPEC Chairman, Rilwanu Lukman’s AMNI International Petroleum Company owns OML 112 and OML 117, which has major stakes in AMNI International Petroleum Company, adding that the $180 billion worth OML 67 is operated by Afren Plc, where Rilwanu Lukman also has major stakes.
The militants mentioned OPL 245, awarded to Malabu Oil and Gas owned by Dan Etete, and worth $50 billion, OPL 289 and OPL 233, awarded to Cleanwater Consortium, worth $200 billion, with former Rivers State Governor, Dr Peter Odili, Olusegun Obasanjo and Sultan of Sokoto as major shareholders.
They further listed as targets, OPL 288, worth $70 billion, was awarded to Focus Energy, with Senator Andy Uba, Obasanjo, and Gen Theophilus Y Danjuma as major stakeholders; OPL 291 awarded to Starcrest Energy Nigeria Limited owned by Emeka Offor, and worth $100 billion; as well as Mike Adenuga’s Conoil which controls and operates six oil blocs worth $500billion, and exports about 500,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
The group said that: “From our analysis above, 90 per cent of oil blocs are allocated to individuals from Northern Nigeria… and some are calling us criminals.
“Our question to these groups of individuals calling us names is: where were you when all these atrocities were happening to the people of the Niger Delta?
On the rumour that oil has been discovered in the North East, the  Niger Delta Avengers said: “How will you feel if this found oil is being managed by Niger Deltans?”
They argued that the Niger Deltans will not even have two per cent oil blocs, if oil is found in the North-East, and warned that, “If you do not shut down, we will shut your stations permanently for you.”
The group acknowledged some strikes at oil and gas operations of major oil companies in the region,  saying that “without taking any innocent life or that of the Nigeria military, we were able to shut down 50 per cent of crude production.”
The group condemned some Niger Delta people, including ex-agitators, criticising its members, and called them “cowards”, promising to restore the dignity of the region and its people.