THERE are strong indications that militancy may have returned to offshore Nigeria’s waters as more attacks are being recorded by the oil multinationals. This follows an alert by Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), yesterday that a vessel was attacked by gunmen near its facility, offshore Akwa Ibom State.
Meanwhile, the Joint Media Coordinator of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Timothy Antigha, yesterday in Yenagoa disclosed that the command has arrested 50 suspected oil thieves in the region in the past three months.
Antigha, in a chat with reporters at the command headquarters said the outfit would not relent in its efforts to protect facilities of oil companies in the region, noting that the end of militancy had led to increased cases of illegal oil bunkering and unlawful refining of petroleum products.
This is the second attack in less than three weeks targeting Mobil’s supply ships. On September 30, gunmen stormed another supply vessel near Mobil’s offshore operation, kidnapping a contractor and leaving another person injured.
Confirming the attack to The Guardian yesterday, General Manager, Public & Government Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Gloria Essien-Danner, said the attack did not affect its production, while it has been reported to the appropriate security agencies.
The statement said in part: “Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of the joint venture with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), confirms that in the early hours of Monday, October 17, 2011, some armed men attacked a third party vessel near our facilities, offshore Akwa Ibom State.
“At this time, we do not know the identity of the attackers, nor reason for their action. The incident has been reported to security and relevant government agencies.”
The company did not say if anyone had been kidnapped or what happened to the vessel.
Essien-Danner, however said in the statement that the company was yet to know the identity of the attackers, nor reason for their action.
According to him, the JTF command had arrested 14 persons at Akassa in Brass Council of the state, with the generators and other equipment they used in siphoning stolen crude oil and adulterated petroleum products.
Those arrested include; Monday Friday, Jeremiah Festus, Alabwe Asina, Ibianga Owei and Secondi Africanus while nine other persons arrested alongside the suspect where found at the scene of the crime.
