Niger Delta Avengers reject dialogue offer, blow up oil facility

The Niger Delta Avengers have declined Nigeria government’s offer for talks aimed at ending a series of attacks on oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta region.

The militant group said on Wednesday via Twitter that they are not willing to negotiate with any committee and added that they had blown up another Chevron facility.

This is to the Gen. public we're not negotiating with any Committee. if Fed Govt is discussing wth any group they're doing that on their own

— Niger Delta Avengers (@NDAvengers) June 8, 2016

At 1:00am today, the NDAvengers blow up Well RMP 20 belonging to Chevron located 20 meters away from Dibi flow Stattion in Warri North LGA.

— Niger Delta Avengers (NDAvengers) June 8, 2016

Nigeria’s minister for petroleum resources has said on Tuesday that President Muhammadu Buhari had appointed a team to start intensive talks with the militants.

In a statement published on the group’s website, the avengers claim that “their struggle is focused on liberation of the people of Niger Delta from decades of divisive rule and exclusion, that the wind of change has come and they are not running after pipeline contracts.“

The attacks have pushed Nigeria’s oil output to a 20-year low while propelling oil prices to new highs.

Separately, a new militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF) has threatened to blow up Aso rock, where key government institutions including the presidential complex, the Nigeria national assembly and the supreme court are located.

Press Agencies