Nigeria: Suspected militants bomb a pipeline in Niger Delta May 20

Event

Suspected militants in the Niger Delta reportedly blew up a pipeline operated by the Nigerian Gas Company Limited near the Sanomi creek, close to the Warri oil hub in Delta state on Saturday, May 20. The attack breaks the current fragile truce between the militants and the government.  No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, although the Niger Delta Avengers are highly suspected. An investigation is currently ongoing.

Context

The attack is the first on Nigeria's oil and gas infrastructure since November 2016 and takes place amid ongoing negotiations between Niger Delta leaders and President Muhammadu Buhari's government. As part of the peace talks, the government had agreed to increase the funding of the amnesty program directed at former rebels and promised to launch a number of infrastructure projects in the region. However, if the militants do not perceive the dialogue as all-inclusive and productive, the region will unlikely remain calm and the ceasefire not last.

After months of silence, a spokesman for the Niger Delta Avengers, on May 23, tweeted ‘la vittoria è nostra’ (‘victory is ours’) which could suggest that this group is responsible for the attack. Other likely suspects include new militant groups that have recently threatened to vandalize oil and gas facilities following their exclusion from the ongoing dialogue. 

A significant number of militant groups are active in the Delta region, targeting oil and gas facilities. In 2016, sustained attacks on oil facilities have brought Nigeria's oil production to a 30-year low. Nigeria has historically depended on the oil sector for 70 percent of its government revenue and 90 percent of its foreign exchange.

Armed groups in the Delta region primarily demand the redistribution of wealth generated by oil assets in the Niger Delta, as well as environmental protection initiatives to combat the damage caused by oil extraction activities over the past few decades.

Advice

Individuals present in affected areas are advised to avoid the site of the explosion and follow all instructions issued by the authorities.

On a separate note, the security environment in Nigeria is complex and is particularly concerning in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.