Nigerian militants have blown up another oil pipeline in the restive
south of the country, a security official said on Friday.
"Reports
from the swamp area indicate that last night (Thursday) a gang of
heavily armed youths with two double 200 horsepower speedboats used
explosives to blast three different points on the Tebidaba-Brass...
pipeline," said Desmond Agu, of the Nigerian Civil Defence and Security
Corps (NCDSC).
The pipeline in Bayelsa state, owned by the
Nigerian Agip Oil Company, a local subsidiary of Italian oil major Eni,
has been repeatedly attacked.
On Monday, an oil wellhead operated by Chevron was attacked in the Batan and Makararaa areas of Delta state.
An investigation has been launched to determine the extent of the damage in the latest incident, said Agu.
No
group has claimed responsibility, but the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA)
has said it has carried out a string of bombings of Nigeria's key oil
and gas facilities since February.
The attacks have cut the
nation's oil production at a time the West African country is struggling
with low global crude prices which have hammered government revenues.
The
Avengers want oil majors to leave the Niger delta, blaming them for
contributing to the poverty and underdevelopment of the region.
The
group, which seeks a fairer share of Nigeria's oil wealth for residents
of the region, also wants self-determination for the delta states and
political autonomy.
Another militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force (JNDLF), has also warned of attacks in the delta.
The Nigerian government has called for dialogue to end the violence.