The claim by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) that it struck the Trans Forcados oil pipeline in the Niger Delta has dire implications and confirms our earlier report that old sores may resurface in the region on account of the much advertised Federal Government peace meeting with Chief Edwin Clark’s group.
MEND had gone under hibernation with some of its foot soldiers embracing the Amnesty programme of the previous governments. But there were strong indications early this year that aside the Niger Delta Avengers which gained currency in the early part of the year, many other groups in the creeks were preparing their members to launch serial attacks on oil facilities. It was, according to community sources, to revenge what they termed ‘government insincerity’.
MEND had claimed in a terse statement that its arm attacked the Forcados facility thus: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) takes full responsibility for the Trans-Forcados Crude Export pipeline attack in the Batan area of Delta State on Wednesday, November 2, 2016.”
“The attack was however, unauthorized by our high command,” the statement explained.
