Niger Delta Avengers reinstate vow to bring Nigeria's oil production to 'zero' as they strikes again in Bayelsa state

Niger Delta Avengers, the new militant group that has claimed responsibility for a string of attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta, continued its disruption of Nigeria’s oil production with the bombing of more crude oil pipelines Thursday.

The group announced the latest attack via its Twitter handle on Thursday evening, saying it blew up “Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba crude oil pipelines in Bayelsa State.”

“At about 2:00am today @NDAvengers blew up the Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba crude oil pipelines in Bayelsa State.”

TROOPS AVERT ATTACKS ON OIL PIPELINES AT GULOBOKRI AND EWELESO, BAYELSA STATE

Today, 29th May 2016 in the early hours of morning, troops of 343 Artillery Regiment of 2 Brigade, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, carried out patrol within the general area of Gulobokri and Eweleso, around Brass area in Bayelsa State.

Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman who is the Acting Director Army Public Reltaions confirms that during the exercise, the patrol team had an encounter with some armed militants in 2 Speed boats with intents to blow up Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) pipeline at Gulobokri.

HOW NIGERIAN NAVY AVERTS PIRATE ATTACK ON 3 MERCHANT VESSELS

The Nigerian Navy has averted pirate attack on 3 merchant vessels, namely MV MOXON, MT AFRICAN BEAUTY and MT MADONA. The vessels were attacked around Brass waterways in Bayelsa State on 3 and 4 May 2016. 

COMMODORE CHRISTIAN ODOGWU EZEKOBE , Director of Information, Nigerian Navy said the criminals made spirited effort to seize the vessels but the timely response of the special protective team deployed by the Nigerian Navy successfully dislodged the pirates who fled to evade arrest.

In a related development, the naval patrol team deployed by NNS PATHFINDER on 4 May 2016 discovered and destroyed 2 active illegal crude oil refineries located at NAFCON creek. The refineries had 7 storage tanks containing about 10,000 litres of stolen crude oil and 20,000 litres of illegally refined AGO. 

This is even as the patrol team destroyed a warehouse used by the criminals to hide illegally refined products. The massive warehouse located at Ikpokiri community in Rivers State had GP tanks containing suspected illegally refined AGO.

Osinbajo meets security chiefs, others over Pipeline vandalisation

The Nigerian Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on Monday night held a closed door meeting with some stakeholders over the current attacks on pipelines in the Niger Delta region.

He first met with some security chiefs including Navy and Army and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, and some other government officials.

The Vice President later met separately with Bayelsa State Governor, Sariake Dickson; and the Amayanabo of Toun Brass, Bayelsa State, King Alfred Diete-Spiff.

WHY I WILL RECONTEST IN 2019 — GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Former president Goodluck Jonathan has declared his interest to run for presidency in 2019 in Bayelsa State today. A jubilant crowd erupted as news leaked that the former president would be holding a press briefing this afternoon. In a statement released by his media secretary, the former president said, he has been inundated with calls from famous Nigerians to reconsider and salvage the economy from the current decay under the APC led government.
The statement reads in part: “A while ago I stood at the Eagle Square, to offer myself for election as the President of our beloved country on the platform of our great party; the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). I decided to run for office because of the many troubles our dear country faced. In a hotly contested election, we ‘lost’ the election to the opposition. We would have rejected the election results but decided my personal ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian.

Jonathan orders $500m oil project moved from Lagos

The Nigeria's outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan has directed that a $500 million oil and gas investment project be relocated from LADOL Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in Lagos to Agga in Bayelsa State, The Nationreports yesterday.

The project is a partnership between LADOL Integrated Logistics Enterprise and Samsung Heavy Industries, Korea.

The two companies are to build fabrication and integration yards for Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) facility for the use of local and foreign-owned oil companies.

The multi-million dollar project is in phases, and billed to be completed in the next five years.

The project is said to have reached an “advanced stage” before Jonathan issued a directive that it should be relocated.

The directive, contained in two letters dated April 27, was signed by Mr A.B Mohammed, a general manager with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

Mohammed signed the letters on behalf of the NPA Managing Director, Sanusi Ado Bayero, who is believed to be a stakeholder in Intel, an oil and gas logistics firm in Rivers State– an allegation he has denied in newspaper advertorials.

The letters read: “Pleased be informed that Mr President has vide PRES/99/MT/2/22 of April 20 approved the FPSO project be relocated to Agga in Bayelsa State when the facilities to handle such operations are developed.

“In addition, the project can be conveniently located at any designated oil and gas terminal. Please be informed that Mr President has approved, henceforth, all oil and gas related cargoes must be handled only in the designated terminals in Onne, Warri and Calabar Ports.

Niger/Delta: JTF repels attack, kills three suspected pirates

The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta (Operation Pulo Shield) on Tuesday said three suspected pirates died during a cross-fire with the group at Robot creeks in Nembe local government area of Bayelsa State. JTF Media Coordinator, Lt. Col. Mustapha Anka, told the journalists in Yenagoa that some 30 pirates, armed with AK-47 riffles in two speedboats, attacked the JTF patrol troop.

Anka said that in repelling the attack, a soldier in the patrol and two boat operators were injured.

He said the troops also raided and destroyed illegal oil bunkering site at Okpoko Creek in Warri South local government area of Delta, seizing nine Cotonou boats loaded with stolen crude oil.

John Oyegun, Ex-Edo Governor, emerges new APC Chairman

A former Governor of Edo state, John Oyegun, has emerged the new Chairman of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC. The emergence of Mr. Oyegun, who will now succeed ex-Governor Bisi Akande, followed intense negotiations and horse trading among various contending forces in the party.

His nomination was subsequently ratified by APC delegates at the first National Convention of the party, holding at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

Mr. Oyegun’s candidature was promoted by a national leader of the party and former Governor of Lagos state, Bola Tinubu. Mr. Oyegun’s main challenger and former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, who was the candidate of choice for the governors elected under the banner of the party, reportedly stepped down for Mr. Oyegun earlier in the day.

One Died as Police Attack Governor Fayemi And Senator Ojudu During APC Rally In Ado Ekiti (+ Photos)

A street rally in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital, led by Senator Babafemi Ojudu to drum up support for the re-election of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State turned bloody on Sunday as a contingent of the Nigeria anti-riot police led by their commander in the state, Selenkere Michael, an indigene of Bayelsa State, pounced on the APC members, tear-gassing and shooting at them. 

According to reports, the carnival-like street rally went on peacefully until the police unleashed a volley of teargas canisters and later used live bullets that killed a party member. 

A few minutes after the attack, the state governor, Kayode Fayemi arrived the scene of the attack to ascertain what happened, the rampaging policemen did not spare him, he was tear-gassed while some members of his security detail and the commissioner for integration in Ekiti State, Niyi Afuye, were arrested and taken away from the scene.

JONATHAN’S FIRST ADOPTED DAUGHTER SET TO WED

President Jonathan’s first adopted daughter Faith Sakwe Elizabeth is set to wed her man of many years, Prince Osim Godswill Edward. 

Their traditional wedding will take place at Otuoke in Bayelsa State on the 5th of April, while their white wedding will hold on the 12th of April at National Christian Centre in Abuja. 

More details of the wedding later...

Niger Delta: JTF, police, SSS comb creeks for Jonathan’s adopted father

The Nigerian security outfits operating in Bayelsa State have murdered sleep following Sunday’s abduction of the 70-year-old Inengite Nitabai, the cousin of President Goodluck Jonathan. In a daring move, 10 heavily armed men stormed the expansive compound of Nitabai at Otuoke, hometown of President Jonathan in Ogbia Local Government Area and whisked the old man away.

But 48 hours after the incident, security agencies had been ordered to find Nitabai who is said to be the adopted father of the President.