Lieutenant Colonel Daudu, spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), has confirmed the attack on oil pipeline in Batan, Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to him, “Troops of Operation DELTA SAFE located at Sector 1, in Delta State, while on routine patrol, heard an explosive sound caused by suspected economic saboteurs at Batan Flow Station around Ekweregbene, Batan general area.
The incident is, however, being investigated and details will be made available as events unfold.”
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, a militant group with the name Niger Delta Defence Corps (NDDC) had, last weekend, threatened to bomb two pipelines if its members were not included in the Pan Niger Delta Forum team that met with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
The group, in an online statement signed by its Spokesman, General Egbe, said the attacks on the oil facilities would be executed simultaneously in Delta and Rivers states.
The group, which claimed responsibility for last Saturday’s bombing of a a pipeline in an undisclosed area in Edo State, had said its actions would be in protest of the non-inclusion of its members in the scheduled dialogue with President Muhammadu Buhari despite a letter written to the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF).
“We Niger Delta Defence Corps (NDDC), militant group disagree with the step taking on the proposed dialogue by the President. We sent a letter to the government through the SGF office and have not received any invitation.
“For that, we are going to blow up two pipelines in Delta and Rivers States to protest this cause,” the group, which has however not claimed responsibility for the recent on the Batan Flow Station threatened.
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