THE Bayelsa government has condemned in very strong words the attack on two crude trunkline operated by Aiteo and Agip carried out by Niger Delta Avengers. Aiteo acquired the 100km Nembe trunkline in 2014
from Shell Petroleum Development Compnay, from which the Dutch oil giant relies on to convey crude to the Bonny Export Terminal from Bayelsa. Bayelsa Commissioner for Information, Mr Jonathan Obuebite, who conveyed the government’s displeasure over the spiral of attacks by NDA described the latest incident as one too many.
Obuebite lamented the economic impact of destruction of the key oil facility and queried why the militants would go to that extent, knowing full well the economic implication to the state, the Niger Delta region and the country at large.
He highlighted concerted efforts of the government to move against such atrocities and regretted that the militants were still unrepentant in their acts of vandalism. Obuebite urged the group to explore dialogue rather than the blowing up of key oil facilities to address their grievances. He called on security agents to be more alert and to devise new means to protect very important oil and gas facilities in order to prevent further destructions.