Chevron Facility Shut Down Following the Attack
Oil rebels belonging to a group of militants known as ‘Niger Delta Avengers’ have blown up an offshore oil facility operated by Chevron, the US oil group, in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region.
According to the navy, militants used explosives to blow up the Okan platform, a facility for offshore oil and gas that runs the Escravos terminal. The attack immediately prompted the oil company to shut down, to contain spills.
The attack happened on Wednesday night near Warri, in Delta State.
So who are the culprits?
The Niger Delta Avengers group claimed responsibility for the attack by saying “This is what we promised the Nigeria government since they refuse to listen to us.”
No reports of human casualties were reported. And, the navy is still on its way tracking down the attackers.
Background of the Niger Delta Avengers Rebel Group
Reports say the militants are strong supporters of the Government Ekpemupolo or widely known as Tompolo. He was under scrutiny when the government declared him wanted on multi-million-dollar corruption charges. Since then, attacks on pipelines and gas facilities have surged.
Tompolo, a strong supporter of former president Goodluck Jonathan, is also facing charges of defrauding the government of more than $175 million (161 million euros).
The former leader of the rebel group has made a name for demanding a fairer share of oil revenue for local people particularly those are who are poor.
In addition, the rebel group made headlines in February for launching an attack on a Shell oil pipeline.
Nigeria has been tormented with insurgency problems and a surge of terrorism as Boko Haram continues its mission to destabilize the government and the nation. This latest attack in oil-rich Delta State poses a big challenge for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who vowed to eradicate extremism in the African country.
