afrol News, 23 July - Nigeria's militant group is threatening to blast oil pipes in Niger delta to disprove claims it had received protection money from government for creeks in the region.

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), denied in a statement today claims that country's petroleum company had paid US$12 million to militants to protect pipelines, saying any such claims were an insult to the group's fundamental principles and its on-going campaign to fight for impoverished masses in the region.

Militants have further charged that any such payments would have been paid to criminal gangs in the delta, which were not part of the movement.

To prove "we are not a part of this deal, the Chanomi Creek pipeline and other major pipelines will be destroyed within the next 30 days," MEND threatened in a statement.

Chanomi Creek is located in the western Niger Delta. Bomb attacks on pipelines in the delta, have disrupted supplies from the world's eighth biggest oil exporter and helped push global energy prices to record highs.

Royal Dutch Shell, one of the worst affected by militant attacks, which had recently shut down operations in the region, has a pipeline in Chamoni.

Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. (NNPC), managing director, Abubakar Yar'Adua, is reported to have told a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, that the company had held talks with militants and paid them funds so that it could repair Chanomi.

"The price we pay is very high. It is difficult to get expatriates to work in the Niger Delta," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's The Guardian newspaper, further disclosing militants were paid US$ 12 million to halt the US$ 81 million loss to the problem of Chamoni.

Successive administrations in Nigeria are reported to have bought off leaders of militant groups in Niger Delta by offering financial rewards for laying down their weapons, a practice known locally as "settling the boys.

By staff writer

© afrol News

Tweet

Printable version

On the Afrol News front page now

UN will not monitor human rights in Western Sahara afrol News - The US has backed down on its demand that UN peacekeepers in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara also shall monitor the human rights situation after Moroccan sources threatened to scale down relations with Washington. Read more

Central African Republic

Central African Republic falling apart afrol News - One month after the rebel movement Séléka took over power in the Central African Republic, unrest is spreading in the country. The new leader lacks control of his forces, which continue looting and abusing civilians. Read more

Kenya

Kenyatta secures tight victory in Kenya afrol News - The official election results in Kenya have finally been announced, and Uhuru Kenyatta managed to win the first poll round outright with a narrow 50.7 percent. But the main opponent, PM Raila Odinga, is filing a vote rigging complaint to the courts. Read more

Cape Verde Cape Verde to produce dragon fruit afrol News - Cape Verde authorities have invested large sums to diversify the arid country's agricultural sector. Now, the dragon fruit, originating in tropical America, is being introduced for the first commercial production in Africa. Read more

Egypt Even governors in Pharaonic Egypt died in their 20s afrol News - Researchers have analysed more than 200 mummies from ancient Egypt, finding that even high dignitaries were poorly nourished and had infectious diseases. The typical governor in Pharaonic Egypt died before he was 30 years old. Read more