The Nigerian army Monday said it traded shots with militants near a Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN) oil facility in the Niger Delta’s Nembe Creek.
Earlier in the day, Shell Petroleum Development Co., or SDPC, the Nigerian unit of Royal Dutch Shell, said there was “an incident” near its Nembe Creek field logistics base. SPDC spokesman Precious Okolobo didn’t elaborate on the incident.
The incident comes despite a recent government pledge to make peace with militants.
In a statement, the military Joint Task Force said “one naval rating was killed, two sustained minor injuries and four Shell speedboats were carted away.”
In the statement, the military Joint Task Force also said it sank boats in Okilo Creek Sunday, which carried militants who were behind a recent Eni SpA (E) contractor attack.
The leading militant group, MEND however disagree and issued the following statement:
“At about 0300 Hrs today, April 13, 2009, the Nigerian military opened fire on some youths in the Nembe Creeks in Bayelsa state who then regrouped and attacked the military position which resulted in the humiliating defeat of the better equipped military.
Three naval ratings were killed and four abducted. Two fully armed gunboats were also seized and stripped of all its military hardware.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) was not involved in this incident but will intervene to secure the release of the captured service men from the angry youths responsible.
This incident makes us wonder if these are the type of men the government of Nigeria intends to use to fight more organized groups in the Niger Delta.
The government continues to put at risk men who do not have the zeal to defend what is not right. The outcome of this incident can clearly give an insight into what a bigger battle will turn out to be like when the military launches it’s much talked about invasion.
It is not too late for the government of Umaru Yar’Adua to do what is right and begin a genuine peace process to avoid starting a civil war in that region. Jomo Gbomo”