January 10, 2008
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) confirms that its Freelance Freedom Fighters (FFF) working inside the oil industry detonated a remote explosive device that caused the fire on a tanker in Port Harcourt, Rivers state of Nigeria today, January 11, 2008.
How can the government of Nigeria fight an enemy that is within and can not be seen? MEND salutes the patriotic agents and also use this opportunity to commend our friends inside the military and secret service for valuable information and resources. We call on all oppressed citizens of the Niger Delta to do your own bit in your own way to regain freedom and win the fight against injustice. Even if it means to poison the drinks and food sold to the soldiers that rape our women and brutalize and kill our youths, just do it.
Again, we are appealing to residents inside the Niger Delta to avoid milling close to military vehicles and check points as we want to avoid the loss of civilian lives. The military seems to be deliberately using civilians as human shields.
Oil tanker on fire at Nigeria port, supplies not hit 11 Jan 2008 10:59:25 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds quotes, background) By Tom Ashby ABUJA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - An oil tanker burst into flames at Nigeria's Port Harcourt on Friday after two loud explosions were heard, police and security sources said.
The tanker was most likely discharging refined fuel at the city's main port when it burst into flames, oil industry sources said, adding that supplies of crude oil from the world's eighth largest exporter were not affected. "There was an explosion and the tanker went up in flames," police commissioner Felix Ogbaudu told Reuters, adding that the cause of the blast was unknown. He said he had sent officers to the port to identity of the ship's owner and discover if there were any casualties. The port has facilities to receive and store refined fuels, but is not involved in the export of crude oil.
Nigeria's largest oil and gas export terminal at Bonny Island is 30 miles (50 km) away. No group has claimed responsibility for the Port Harcourt explosion. Militant violence around Port Harcourt has been rising in recent weeks after the collapse of peace talks with the government. The militants, who have vowed to halt oil exports from the Niger Delta, are demanding greater regional autonomy over the vast natural resources in the south of the country. Two people were injured on Wednesday when gunmen opened fire on six oil industry ships in the channel leading to Bonny terminal.
Nigerian oil output has been running at 20 percent below capacity for two years since militants launched a new wave of attacks on Africa's largest oil industry. Thousands of foreign oil workers have fled. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan held a meeting on Thursday with community leaders from the delta in an attempt to revive the collapsed peace talks with militants. He said he would assume leadership of a committee designed to lay the foundations for talks, and set an end-February deadline to conclude its work.
The delta representatives asked the government to stop offensive military activities in the region and said the continued detention of a prominent delta militia leader in Angola was an obstacle to progress. (Editing by Alison Williams)
How can the government of Nigeria fight an enemy that is within and can not be seen? MEND salutes the patriotic agents and also use this opportunity to commend our friends inside the military and secret service for valuable information and resources. We call on all oppressed citizens of the Niger Delta to do your own bit in your own way to regain freedom and win the fight against injustice. Even if it means to poison the drinks and food sold to the soldiers that rape our women and brutalize and kill our youths, just do it.
Again, we are appealing to residents inside the Niger Delta to avoid milling close to military vehicles and check points as we want to avoid the loss of civilian lives. The military seems to be deliberately using civilians as human shields.
Oil tanker on fire at Nigeria port, supplies not hit 11 Jan 2008 10:59:25 GMT Source: Reuters
(Adds quotes, background) By Tom Ashby ABUJA, Jan 11 (Reuters) - An oil tanker burst into flames at Nigeria's Port Harcourt on Friday after two loud explosions were heard, police and security sources said.
The tanker was most likely discharging refined fuel at the city's main port when it burst into flames, oil industry sources said, adding that supplies of crude oil from the world's eighth largest exporter were not affected. "There was an explosion and the tanker went up in flames," police commissioner Felix Ogbaudu told Reuters, adding that the cause of the blast was unknown. He said he had sent officers to the port to identity of the ship's owner and discover if there were any casualties. The port has facilities to receive and store refined fuels, but is not involved in the export of crude oil.
Nigeria's largest oil and gas export terminal at Bonny Island is 30 miles (50 km) away. No group has claimed responsibility for the Port Harcourt explosion. Militant violence around Port Harcourt has been rising in recent weeks after the collapse of peace talks with the government. The militants, who have vowed to halt oil exports from the Niger Delta, are demanding greater regional autonomy over the vast natural resources in the south of the country. Two people were injured on Wednesday when gunmen opened fire on six oil industry ships in the channel leading to Bonny terminal.
Nigerian oil output has been running at 20 percent below capacity for two years since militants launched a new wave of attacks on Africa's largest oil industry. Thousands of foreign oil workers have fled. Vice President Goodluck Jonathan held a meeting on Thursday with community leaders from the delta in an attempt to revive the collapsed peace talks with militants. He said he would assume leadership of a committee designed to lay the foundations for talks, and set an end-February deadline to conclude its work.
The delta representatives asked the government to stop offensive military activities in the region and said the continued detention of a prominent delta militia leader in Angola was an obstacle to progress. (Editing by Alison Williams)
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