Nigerian militants threaten to attack Italy's Eni oil plants

AFP

6 June 2011

Nigerian militants threaten to attack Italy's Eni oil plants

LAGOS — Nigeria's most prominent militant group MEND on Monday threatened to attack facilities of the Italian energy firm Eni in the country, accusing it of stealing oil and of backing NATO-led air raids on Libya.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in an emailed statement said Eni engaged in "theft" in Nigeria's southern oil-rich region and assisted a special Nigerian military unit deployed there.

"The Eni group has actively participated in the theft of oil in the Niger delta for decades, assisting the Nigerian military in its scorched earth and genocidal actions against the justice-seeking citizens of the Niger delta," it noted.

MEND claims to be fighting for a fairer share of the oil wealth for area residents.