Members of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have said in their website late on Monday that they blew up ExxonMobil Qua Iboe 48″ crude oil export terminal pipeline.
But the alleged attack was quickly debunked by the company, which said it was not true, making it virtually the first time an acclaimed sabotage of the militants would be debunked.
“At about 7:30pm, the Niger Delta Avengers blow up ExxonMobile Qua Iboe 48″ crude oil export pipeline,” Avenges had alleged on their website.
The statement, signed by its usual spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Mudoch Agbinibo, added rhetorically “When will these International Oil companies (IOC) learn to listen. We (Niger Delta Avengers) said no export.”
Qua Iboe is rated as Nigeria’s largest crude oil stream and exports usually amounting to more than 300,000 barrels per day.
Meanwhile, Exxon Mobil Corp, it was gathered, had said on Tuesday that no attacks had taken place at its facilities after Nigerian militant group Niger Delta Avengers said it had blown up the Qua Iboe 48″ crude oil export pipeline operated by the company.
“There were no attacks on our facilities,” Exxon Mobil spokesman, Todd Spitler, was quoted to have said.
No security confirmation to the alleged sabotage could be accessed as of the time of filing this report.
It will be recalled that in the past and recent times, the group had claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta which were usually confirmed to be true.
The numerous attacks had brought economic woes to the country’s crude oil production to an all-time low in 30 years.
The militants have consistently demanded resource control, wholistic development of the region among other demands from the Federal Government.
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