Following a threat of �oil war� by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Joint (Military) Task Force (JTF) has vowed to take the fight to the creeks to �flush out� criminal elements in the oil-producing region.
JTF warned the militants that as a responsible outfit, �we will not continuosly fold our arms and watch misguided few unleashing (unleash) mayhem and serious economic ruination and sabotage against the state to the detriment of the majority members of the society�.
JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, also said the militants �are advised to come to terms with reality as the status quo must be reversed for the good of all. The time for lawlessness, wanton economic sabotage, kidnap and the urge for quick money will soon be over�.
Earlier yesterday, JTF said it had repelled a reprisal carried out by militants at a Chevron facility in Robotkiri and Soku, Rivers State in the early hours of the day with heavy casualties on the militants� side.
However, MEND responded, saying JTF�s attack was the final provocation and had declared an oil war codenamed �Hurricane Barbarosa� on oil companies operating in the Niger Delta.
Musa had said the militants were routed by the military in the attack on the oil facility between 3 and 4am.
He said the JTF was prepared to deliver on its mandate of ensuring peace and protection of facilities in the region.
�As a result of yesterday�s attack on our troops on marine patrol at Elom Tombia, which led to an exchange of fire with heavy casualty on the militants, consequently as anticipated, the bandits staged a flamboyant attack at the early hours of today (yesterday) between 3 and 4am at Soku facility and Robotkiri where they met active resistance from the troops guarding the facilities.
�It was heroically and successfully repelled with casualty on the miscreants� side. A soldier was, however, wounded and no death recorded. This message is necessary to pre-empt and avoid mischievous propaganda from the militants,� Sagir said.
A statement from MEND�s spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said it was commencing action that would shut down oil export and production because of what it called unprovoked attack by soldiers on their camps.
According to Gbomo, �Following a previous warning that any attack on our positions will be tantamount to a declaration of an oil war, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has declared an oil war in response to the unprovoked aerial and marine attacks on a MEND position in Rivers State of Nigeria on September 13, 2008 by the armed forces of Nigeria.
�About 0100 hrs, today, September 14, 2008, Hurricane Barbarossa commenced with heavily armed fighters in hundreds of war boats filing out from different MEND bases across the Niger Delta in solidarity to carry out destructive and deadly attacks on the oil industry in Rivers State.
�By dawn, destroyed oil flow stations, gun boats, burst pipelines, dead and injured soldiers trailed in the aftermath of the �hurricane�. Some specific locations include the Soku Gas Plant, Chevron Platform at Kula, over 22 well armed soldiers sent as reinforcement were intercepted, killed and dispossessed of their weapons, a major crude trunk pipeline at Nembe creek was blown up at several points.
�The operation will continue until the government of Nigeria appreciates that the solution to peace in the Niger Delta is justice, respect and dialogue. This military style bullying belongs to the past 50 years when the Niger Delta people responded only with their mouths, pens and placards.
�All international oil and gas loading vessels entering the region are warned to drop anchor in the high sea or divert elsewhere until further notice. Failure to comply is taking a foolhardy risk of attack and destruction of the vessel.
�Again, we are asking that oil companies evacuate their staff from their field facilities because the brief is not to capture hostages but to bring these structures to the ground,� MEND warned.
Meawhile, a Lebanese, Mr. Sulaiman, working for MFW Dredging Marine Company in Akpajo, Eleme, yesterday escaped assassination, as two armed men opened fire on his vehicle.
His police orderly was said to have replied the fire and hit the attackers and in the ensuing melee, Sulaiman escaped into the bush and was rescued by a motorcyclist who took him to a Julius Berger camp in Eleme Junction from where the police and JTF were alerted and he was taken over by the police.
Sep152008