Barely 24 hours after the Niger Delta Avengers have declared an end to attacks in the region, an Urhobo militant group, Niger Delta Greenland Justice Movement, NDGJM, has blown up a pipeline operated by Nigeria Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, and Shorelines Petroleum Nigeria in Delta State.
The pipeline, which is a major delivery line for NPDC, was blown up at 3.am on Tuesday, despite the ongoing military drill in the Niger Delta region code-named, “Operation Crocodile Smile.”
A statement by the group’s leader, “Gen” Aldo Agbalaja, said the attack was carried out by its Uproot Team B, adding that it was also launching “Operation Crocodile Tears” in response to the military’s “Operation Crocodile Smile.”
The militant group also warned of an “impending bloodbath” in the Niger Delta region, stressing that it can no longer “sit quietly” and watch its people killed and harassed by the military.
NDGJM told indigenes of the oil-rich region to hold President Muhammadu Buhari responsible for the impending “bloodbath”.
The statement reads, “With the launch of their ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is also serving a notice on the commencement of our ‘Operation Crocodile Tears.’ It shall from now on be an eye for an eye; for every military atrocity carried out in the creeks and hinterland of the Niger Delta, the Nigerian armed forces will have the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate to contend with.”
“To this end, we are alerting all those working in the UQCC/UPS Erhomukokwarien in Ughelli, Eriemu Pigging Manifold in Agbarha, Otorogun Gas Plant, Olomoro Flow Station, Warri Refinery, Port Harcourt Refinery, Eleme, OB-OB and Obite gas plants in Omoku to evacuate because what is coming to those facilities are beyond what anybody has seen before.
“We do not want innocent blood being spilled, therefore, we advise all indigenes living in the vicinities of the facilities to relocate for the time being.
“Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate will no longer sit quietly watching the endless harassment of our people in various parts of the region by the Nigerian military. We had once warned against the victimization and harassment of defenseless people of the region, especially in the creeks, but rather than heed, the Nigerian military has increased its presence and made life more difficult for our people.
“They are now killing our people on the basis of mere suspicion, this cannot continue.
“With the launch of their ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate is also serving a notice on the commencement of our ‘Operation Crocodile Tears.’ It shall from now on be an eye for an eye; for every military atrocity carried out in the creeks and hinterland of the Niger Delta, the Nigerian armed forces will have the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate to contend with.
“The world should, however, note that the bloodbath that is about to commence in our already beaten, battered, squeezed and impoverished homeland, the Niger Delta. It is all the baby of the Nigerian government; they are the people, who are in one breath preaching resolution through dialogue and also breathing bullets and bombs on a troubled, but trusting people.
“Hold the Nigerian President responsible for the genocide that his armed forces is about to unleash on our people.”
