Militants blow up another oil facility in Nigeria

The Niger Delta Avengers on Friday claimed responsibility for the blowing up of another oil facility owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in Forcados town located in Nigeria's southeastern Delta province.

In an electronic statement, the militant group said it bombed the SPDC forcados 48' export-line which had just undergone repairs after a previous bombing in February. The oil facility transports 250,000 barrels oil per day.

The group claimed it carried out the bombing at exactly 3 a.m. local time on Friday. "We warned SPDC not to go ahead with repair works but they refused," the militants said.

Recent attacks on oil and gas facilities in Nigeria has led to a shortfall, bringing down the West African country's production to as low as 1.4 million barrels per day.

On Thursday, the Niger Delta Avengers claimed responsibility for the blowing up of crude oil pipelines connecting Ogboinbiri to Tebidaba and Clough Creek to Tebidaba in Bayelsa State. The group said the attacks were "in line with our promise to all international oil companies and indigenous oil companies that Nigeria oil production will be zero."

The militants had recently rejected a meeting convened by the federal government in Abuja, saying they were preparing to carry out an attack which will "shock the whole world".

The group's operations have become more audacious in recent weeks as it continues to cripple Nigeria's oil production in hopes of achieving its aim of establishing a sovereign nation for the Niger Delta people. Endit