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Militant Group Attacks Shell Pipeline in Nigeria

04-18-2008

Militants have sabotaged a major Shell oil pipeline in Nigeria - and warned that more violence will follow. The main group of gunmen in the region - known as The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) - struck the Bonny exports terminal pipeline overnight.

Bonny is the largest export terminal in the country with a storage capacity of around 7 million barrels of crude oil.

There was no clear indication for this specific attack, but MEND has reigned terror over the region for close to three years now. They claim to be fighting for a greater share of the country's vast oil wealth, saying it is not filtered down to desperately poor areas.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer but has seen its production cut by almost a quarter because of constant kidnappings and raids by the militants.

MEND has lately been enraged by the capture one of its leaders, Henry Okah, an alleged illegal arms dealer, who is on trial in a closed court on treason and terrorism charges. He could face the death penalty.

He was extradited to Nigeria earlier this year after his arrest last year in Angola.

Shell, which is Nigeria's largest operator with 2.1 million b/d of output, has not commented on the attack.