Though the major militant
group who has been ravaging Niger Delta, the Niger Delta Avengers, has sustained its seemingly mysterious attacks on oil facilities in the oil-rich region, its latest attempt to blow up a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) located in Okpoama Community, Bayelsa State has been thwarted by troops of the military joint force.
Disclosing this on Friday, through a statement, the Co-ordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Operation Pulo Shield, Col. Ado Isa, said the vandals had laid dynamites beneath pipelines in the area, ready for detonation, but that unfortunately to them, vigilant troops of the joint force discovered the land mine in the swamp and swiftly detonated them, thereby foiling what could have resulted in another major pipeline destruction.
According to the statement, two dynamite detonators, cable wire and battery were also discovered from the scene.
Isa said, the maritime squad of the Joint Force and the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS Delta) on June 14 also arrested three suspected masterminds of several pipeline bombings across the Niger Delta.
He revealed that one of the three suspects whose name in John Oboka, also known as Jamaica, confessed to being in the group that bombed the Nigerian Petroleum Developing Company (NPDC) crude oil pipeline at Escravos, in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Joint Media Co-ordinator noted that many bombing equipment were recovered from the bombers, adding that the force was determined to rid the activities of the hoodlums in the region.
Assuring the natives of safety, he said the Joint Force would continue to clamp down on fleeing criminals, including vandals, adding that the troop would intensify efforts to dismantle all camps belonging to the militants in the region and advised those behind bombing of oil installations in the region to have a rethink.
He said, they should rather toe the line of peace by adopting legitimate means in their grievances and agitation instead of taking the law into their hands.
Commenting on other exploits of the troops, Isa explained that it also recently in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, conducted anti-illegal oil bunkering patrol and cordon and search operation along Ebelebiri and Agba communities.
He said, six suspected pipeline vandals were arrested with eight Cotonou boats loaded with illegally acquired crude oil.
Isa stated that both the site and the recovered items were destroyed while the suspects were handed over to the civil defence for prosecution.
On same day, he said, the troops in furtherance of its raid on pipeline vandal’s camps, carried out cordon-and-search operation in the Oporoma Community of Delta State.
“One pistol, 195 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, 14 handheld radio sets, diving equipment, 30 detonating codes, computer, several cell phones, SIM cards amongst others were recovered from the ten suspect pipeline vandals arrested”, he said.