Ex-militants blow up Agip flow station in Bayelsa

Vanguard

20 March 2012

Ex-militants blow up Agip flow station in Bayelsa

By EMMA AMAIZE

WARRI—GUNMEN, suspected to be former militants, weekend, bombed an Agip Flow Station in Bayelsa State, claiming it was in protest against the gross underdevelopment of Niger Delta region.

The leader of the group, “General” Cairo, who spoke to Vanguard, on phone, yesterday, said: “I am a former militant. We are unhappy that for two years, the Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan had not done anything tangible to develop the Niger Delta region, that was why we bombed the Agip flow station.”

Vanguard learnt that the old 10 production pipeline (departure pipeline), also known as Agip manifold, Obrucomo is located at Biseni/Idu area of the state.

“General” Cairo, who is the leader of the Movement for the Survival of Niger Delta Disarmed Youths, MOSODY, said though he and his men had surrendered their arms, “we were not included in the post-amnesty programme, though our anger was more of lack of development in the region.”

He said nobody was killed in the attack on the Agip flow station and the group would continue the attack until President Jonathan shifts his attention to the development of the region.

He added that he knew the former militant leader, Mammy Water, who, the Joint Task Force, JTF, said was killed in an encounter with naval personnel after some military personnel were massacred, but could not confirm if he was still alive or dead.

“I was in a separate speedboat when we encountered the military men on that day, but I have been calling his line since without success. I heard that he is dead from the JTF attack.”

He said he does not know the whereabouts of “General” Victor Gbekeke, who led the attack on the military men.