Suspected Militants Blow Up Agip Pipeline In Bayelsa.

About two weeks after suspected militants blew up vital oil and gas assets in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, another major pipeline in the Niger Delta region has been blown up.

This time, the suspected militants attacked the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) pipeline in Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

‎The attack was said to have targeted the pipeline located along Orukari, Golubokiri and Kpongbokiri communities in Brass

Following the hard line stance of the current federal government against those behind the resume destruction of oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta, panic was said to have enveloped the communities where the pipeline is located.

It was learnt that the attackers carried out the wanton destruction on Thursday night.

The incident has also caused massive spillage of crude oil into the waterways and fishing camps.

A member representing Brass Constituency 1 in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Isreal Sunny-Igoli confirmed the explosion in a statement he signed in Yenagoa, the state capital yesterday.

Igoli said that ‎preliminary investigations into the incident showed that it was an act of sabotage carried out to hurt the economic interests of Bayelsa and Nigeria.

The lawmaker lamented that the latest explosion coming after bombing of pipelines recently in the same axis was worrisome and capable of forcing oil companies out of operation and adversely affecting Nigeria’s already worsening economy.

Sunny-Goli, therefore, called on security agencies to beef up security around oil facilities to prevent future attacks adding that economic saboteurs were bent on crippling Nigeria’s economy.

He said: “I want to condemn the latest attack on Agip pipeline at Kpongbokiri. This is a clear sabotage by economic saboteurs. Recently they blasted pipeline at Orukari and Golubokiri.

“I condemned this latest attack on Agip pipeline at Kpongbokiri in its entirety. It is sabotage against Nigeria in a bid to cripple the economy at a time the Nation is struggling with decline in revenue due to the fall in oil prices.

“It is common knowledge that because of the low price of oil which is our main source of revenue, many states can hardly pay workers’ salaries. This sabotage is capable of crippling the economy if not urgently curbed.

“If these attacks are not checked and the perpetrators brought to book and Agip decides to pull out of Bayelsa state it would be disastrous for us as a people.

“Bayelsa state is an oil producing state and our revenue from the federal government is based on our quota of production but this would be reduced if Agip decides to pull out because incessant attacks on its facilities are not stopped.

“I want to urge security agencies to probe the attack on Agip pipeline and ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and brought to book. Bayelsans especially those that have oil facilities around them should also be vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security agencies to prevent further attacks”.