Tension in Rivers as militants attack major oil facilities

Militant groups operating under the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (M.E.N.D) launched a series of coordinated assaults on vital oil infrastructure in Rivers State early Sunday, intensifying fears of a resurgence in armed militancy amid the region’s ongoing political upheaval.

The attacks, claimed by the Liberation Army of the Niger Delta and Bakassi (L.A.N.D. & B), reportedly destroyed the Ogada Brass Agip trunk line — a critical oil conduit connecting Omoku to the Brass Agip terminal — around 2:00 a.m. Another key target was a site near the Oron River, behind the Maritime Academy, suggesting a deliberate strategy to cripple national economic resources.

In a statement released by the group’s Operations Commander, whose identity remains undisclosed, the militants described the operation as the beginning of a broader campaign to rid the state of what they called “usurpers of the people’s legitimate authority.”

“We call upon all armed groups in Rivers State not to allow this affront pass without a fitting consequence,” the statement said, referencing recent federal actions in the state. “Follow-up statements and responses to enquiries if any will be issued by M.E.N.D.”

The militant offensive follows heightened unrest in Rivers State, triggered by President Bola Tinubu’s March declaration of a state of emergency. The decision led to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, and the entire state assembly, prompting fierce backlash and widespread condemnation.

Citing threats to “democratic stability and governance,” the federal government defended the emergency measures. However, critics argue the move undermined democratic norms and ignited renewed instability in a region with a long history of insurgent resistance.

Local civil society groups and political observers had previously warned that such interventions could provoke militant reprisals. The latest attacks appear to validate those concerns, raising the specter of a return to the era of oil sabotage that plagued the Niger Delta in the early 2000s.

The destruction of the Agip trunk line, a key pipeline for crude transportation, threatens to disrupt oil exports and deal a blow to Nigeria’s revenue stream. As of press time, neither the Nigerian military nor the presidency has issued an official response.

(SAHARA REPORTERS)