'Oil War' Rages in Niger Delta

ANCHOR:
Nigerian militants have attacked yet another pipeline in the oil rich country. It comes amidst the heaviest fighting there in two years. The militants have cut Nigeria's oil output by more than 20 percent since they began a campaign of violence two years ago.

STORY:
Oil has been a burning issue in the Niger Delta since its discovery more than half a century ago. Resentment towards foreign-owned oil companies - accruing billions of dollars a year - has simmered for years as people living in this energy-rich region remain ensnared in poverty, hobbled by the legacy of decades of economic mismanagement and military rule. Now it's exploded into what one militant group is calling an 'oil war.'

In the last four days, this rag-tag army has attacked oil interests throughout the Niger Delta - heaping further pressure on Nigeria's oil output which has been cut by more than 20 percent since militant violence began two years ago.

In the latest attacks the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta or MEND says it's blown up a flow station belonging to Shell. The military says its successfully repelled a string of attacks, including an attempt to sabotage a Chevron pipeline.

The army is keen to underplay the impact of the escalating violence but a military spokesman confirmed that an explosion had taken place at the Shell flow station.

[Colonel Musa Sagir, Nigerian Joint Mil. Task Force]:
"There was really intense fighting and exchange of fire and in the process of cross fire, I think a bullet hit one of the sensitive and inflammable part of the flow station and there was explosion and it caught
fire."

The escalating violence has prompted Shell to evacuate some of its staff. Militants claim to be holding 27 oil workers who were kidnapped last week after their oil supply vessel was hijacked.

Despite being outgunned, these men say they'll never give up until they win a stake in Nigeria's vast oil wealth.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• ntd
• Oil
• War
• Niger
• Delta
• nigeria
• militants
• mend
• cevorn
• pipeline

[aquerius23]

Even when reporting about the ATROCITIES the Europeans have metted out to the Afrikan, creating in 1885 host of countries on the continent that are exactly that, parasitic hosts on the afrikan tribes, or virulent european businesses like SHELL or ELF, one would still see the SNEAKY REPORTING by the caucasoid or asian media ,where the helpless Afrikan Victims/fighters are painted like CRIMINALS!! ........OUTRAGEOUS!!

[jondobigballs]

We gotta all UNITE in Africa and bring our leaders to account.

[Talltrees84]

Mend no war for oil. That right is for the us and uk.

[fukalotfukalot]

Death to GREEDY CORPORATIONS!!

[slckr80s]

Forward MEND! Burn in hell sHell!

[SapphireDiamond19]

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CORPORATIONS TAKEOVER wHO DOES SHELL THINK THAT THEY ARE? THEY WOULD TEAR UP EVEN THE MOST DELICATE OF PLACES IF THEY THINK THERE IS OIL THERE THEY HAVE SLAUGHTERED ALL THE PEOPLE WHO PROTESTED, THE OIL SPILLS ARE CAUSING A MESS AND THE PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING HEARD IF YOU GET YOUR GAS FROM SHELL THEN YOU ARE SUPPORTING THE GENOCIDE OF THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE IM SO GLAD I NEVER CHOOSE TO GET MY GAS FROM SHELL AND I NEVER WILL IM NOT GIVING THESE GREEDY BASTARDS ANY MORE MONEY!

[damfst23]

@rsvidetutor Mostly because of manipulation by western intelligence like M15 or the CIA for corporate or geo-political purposes.

[sgt365]

Please sue them till their last blood drops, this is just mad!!

[fuzzmatix]

Free the Niger Delta. Why must we suffer with all the oil in the region

[GrimmjowProduction]

Support to the MEND... fuckin corporate criminals and leaders... Free the Niger Delta!

[GrimmjowProduction]

@Krifko you should rage quit your life you lie filled cock sucker... typical idiot swallowing bullshit with out asking, u suggesting that Africans had it worse before the slavery and colonisation??

[Krifko]

@aquerius23 Yawn.You know what, maybe you should move back to Africa then.Or are those German welfare checks reason enough to stay? Just remember, it's 'blood money' that those 'white devils' are giving you.

Get a grip. When the Europeans came to Africa, some countries had not yet invented the wheel (!!). This was when invented modern medicine.Africans still practice slavery today, while Europeans were the first to strive for a ban on slavery.Don't blame Europeans for the shortcomings of Africa