Group Claims Responsibility For Pipeline Explosion

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An Urhobo militant group, Urhobo Gbagbako, has claimed responsibility for Thursday night’s bombing of the NPDC Oil pipelines at Ighrenene, Afiesere and Ekiugbo communities in Delta State.

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According to the Punch, the group made the claims in an email sent to some reporters on Friday, April 3. The group warned that it was also planning to shut down all the oil fields in Urhobo and Isoko areas.

The email signed by the group’s spokesperson, Priest Omodjuvwu, revealed that the aim of the bombing was to draw attention to the neglect of ex-militants of Urhobo extraction.

According to the group, the Urhobo had been sidelined in the pipelines protection contracts offered to ex-militants from other ethnic groups.  Therefore, they  decided to show that they also had the capacity to cause trouble if ignored.

The militant group further stated that it had already sent warning signals to the NPDC and the federal government on the pipeline surveillance contracts, which had excluded the Urhobo.

Urhobo Gbagbako however dissociated itself from media reports about a 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government and NPDC on the oil pipeline surveillance contracts.

“We have now resumed attack on the NPDC pipeline facilities on a massive scale, which scale of bombings shall be unprecedented,” the email said.

The group warned that the attacks would continue until the Urhobo got what rightly belonged to them.

It would be noted that the latest claim of Urhobo Gbagbako caused anger and indignation among Nigerians.