Another oil pipeline sabotaged in Nigeria

Yenagoa - Nigerian militants have blown up
another oil pipeline in the restive south of
the country, a security official said on
Friday.
"Reports from the swamp area indicate that
last night (Thursday) a gang of heavily
armed youths with two double 200
horsepower speedboats used explosives to
blast three different points on the Tebidaba-
Brass... pipeline," said Desmond Agu, of the
Nigerian Civil Defence and Security Corps
(NCDSC).
The pipeline in Bayelsa state, owned by the
Nigerian Agip Oil Company, a local
subsidiary of Italian oil major Eni, has been
repeatedly attacked.
On Monday, an oil wellhead operated by
Chevron was attacked in the Batan and
Makararaa areas of Delta state.
An investigation has been launched to
determine the extent of the damage in the
latest incident, said Agu.
No group has claimed responsibility, but the
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has said it has
carried out a string of bombings of Nigeria's
key oil and gas facilities since February.
The attacks have cut the nation's oil
production at a time the West African
country is struggling with low global crude
prices which have hammered government
revenues.
The Avengers want oil majors to leave the
Niger delta, blaming them for contributing
to the poverty and underdevelopment of the
region.
The group, which seeks a fairer share of
Nigeria's oil wealth for residents of the
region, also wants self-determination for the
delta states and political autonomy.
Another militant group, the Joint Niger Delta
Liberation Force (JNDLF), has also warned
of attacks in the delta.
The Nigerian government has called for
dialogue to end the violence.