A new militant group in Rivers State, Bayan-Men, have blown up another oil facility belonging to the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Obosi area of Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area.
The latest attack (Tuesday night) come at the expiration of the 24-hour ultimatum given to Agip by the aggrieved group at the weekend.
Sources from the area said the aggrieved agitators blew up Onosi-Ogu Manifold owned by the firm at Obosi, adding that the heavy sound of the explosion caused panic in the area.
The sources also said Agip has not been able to put out the fire of last week’s attack, calling on the oil company to engage the aggrieved youths.
The militant group in a statement yesterday, claimed responsibility for the attack, stating that it acted as a result of the injustice against Omoku people.
The statement signed by “General” Agaba, General of Bayan-Men, stated that it would carry out more attacks on Agip facilities if the firm fails to retrace its step and engage the communities of Omoku directly.
In the statement, he: “The action we carried out yesterday (Tuesday) is as a result of Agip’s failure to comply with the 24 hours ultimatum we handed to them to engage our people on how to commence dealing directly with individual communities order than through individuals.
“We are not criminals, we are intellectuals. The fact is that when a man is pushed to the wall, he bounces back with double force. We are giving Agip another seven days to open windows of negotiation with the 27 communities of Omoku clan.
“This meeting will involve the chiefs of these communities, the CDC (Community Development Committee) chairmen of the Communities and the Youths Presidents of the 27 communities. That is how we want it.”
