In a startling development from Nigeria’s oil-rich southern delta region, two militant groups have claimed responsibility for a series of recent attacks on oil facilities. The Liberation Army of the Niger Delta and Bakassi (L.A.N.D. & B) partnered with the well-known Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) to assert their involvement in attacks targeting a main oil supply line leading to a terminal in Bayelsa State.
Local sources have reported that these attacks occurred over the past week, marking a concerning uptick in militant violence in an area that had previously experienced a period of relative stability. Nigerian oil firm Oando confirmed through the government-owned News Agency of Nigeria that there were three separate attacks on its pipelines in that timeframe.
The militant groups declared their actions as a response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, an area rich in oil resources. This state of emergency, announced last month, followed a protracted period of political strife, resulting in the suspension of State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and other elected officials. The declaration was a direct reaction to escalating attacks on oil infrastructure, with Tinubu accusing Governor Fubara of complicity in these incidents.
“The attacks signify the launch of a campaign to drive out usurpers of the people’s legitimate authority,” the militants stated in a communication sent to journalists. However, the authenticity of this statement could not be verified by AFP, as it was transmitted from a Yahoo email account.
The resurgence of violence in the Niger Delta raises significant concerns for Tinubu’s economic reform agenda, particularly as the nation grapples with one of its most severe cost-of-living crises in decades. With economic recovery in its infancy, any interruptions in oil production could have far-reaching implications. Nigeria’s oil minister, Heineken Lokpobiri, expressed his concerns following a visit to the damage sites, noting, “This is a major trunk line, and every day it remains shut results in huge revenue loss, not just to the Federal Government, but also to the company and host communities.”
While the L.A.N.D. & B group is relatively unknown, the MEND is infamous for its past aggressions against Nigeria’s oil facilities during the 2000s. Their campaign for a more equitable distribution of the country’s vast oil wealth significantly diminished output until a government amnesty in 2009 quelled much of the unrest.
As the situation unfolds, both the government and local communities are left to ponder the potential implications of renewed militancy in an already fragile economic landscape, with concerns that the stability of the region may once again be tested.
