).
They have also warned oil companies and the military to watch out for “something big” that will “shock the whole world.”
The sabotage, characterised by multiple explosions, as gathered, was carried out at about 11:45.pm on Thursday.
The bombed trunk lines are said to be at Batan, Warri South West Local Government Area, close to the oil-rich city of Warri and heavily guarded by troops from the Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF).
It was further gathered that the damaged pipelines are being operated by the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) Ltd.
Both PPMC and NPDC are subsidiaries of the NNPC.
In its Twitter handle, @NDAvengers, the new militants said: “At 11:45pm on Thursday, @NDAvengers blew up other #NNPC Gas and Crude trunkline close to Warri.
“Pipeline that was heavily guarded by military.”
In several other tweets announcing the attacks on Friday, NDA warned oil companies to await more severe attacks.
“To the IOCs, Indigenous Oil Companies and Nigeria Military. Watch out something big is about to happen and it will shock the whole world,” they warned.
Yet, another tweet denounced the Niger Delta stakeholders meeting held with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, describing it as an insult.
“The Niger Delta stakeholders’ meeting is an insult to the people of Niger Delta. What we need is a sovereign state not pipeline contracts,” the militants reiterated.
The group has, however, threatened both international and indigenous oil companies to expect more pipelines attacks in the days ahead.
Meanwhile, a worker with one of the companies described the attacks as devastating to the economy of the country.
The source, which declined being identified, said the affected trunklines were strategic to the country’s oil production.
He said the nation’s oil production would further be depleted due to Thursday’s night sabotage.
Although the JTF’s spokesperson, Lt. Col. Isah Ado, could not be reached, a senior military officer confirmed the incident.
The spokesman for the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Mr Eric Omare, bemoaned the incident which he described as ‘becoming unbecoming.’
A senior naval officer, who did not want to be mentioned also confirmed the sabotage, saying only the soldiers manning the area could explain better how the incident happened.
It will be recalled that the renewed onslaught by the NDA began after the two weeks ultimatum issued to owners and operators of oil blocs in the Niger Delta to stop operations and quit the Niger Delta expired on Wednesday.
Also in the goodwill message on its website titled “Happy Children’s Day to the Children of the Niger Delta,” the militant group said: “Childhood means unlimited opportunities for children.
“This is what the Nigeria government has refused to give you the children of the Niger Delta. But what they have refused to give to you is what we (Niger Delta Avengers) are promising you.”
Spokesperson for the group, Col. Mudoch Agbinibo, who signed the statement, described an ideal childhood as one which is supposed to be filled with “an enchanting vista, endless fun, a joyful classroom, and an era of imagination and hope.
He said “unfortunately, the children of the Niger Delta region are missing all these because of the deliberate policies of every successive Nigeria government.”
Meanwhile, the apex sociocultural organisation of the Ijaw ethnic nationality, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), has begged the NDA to halt all forms of bombings of oil and gas pipelines in the Niger Delta region.
The national delegation of the body, comprising members from various Ijaw clans, made the plea on Friday in Warri, Delta State.
The delegation, inundated with holding consultations with Ijaw leaders, youth groups and various associations across 78 Ijaw clans within and outside the Niger Delta, is to unravel the causes and possible solutions to the renewed insurgency in the region.
Leader of the delegation and secretary-general of INC, Dr Bello Orubebe and other executive members, said peaceful coexistence among various ethnic groups in the Nigerian nation, the Niger Delta was necessary.
Them group also reminded President Muhammadu Buhari of the need to answer what they described as “the Ijaw question.”
Dr. Orubebe said one of the issues that the Federal Government must swiftly address in the region was the commencement of the Nigerian Maritime University (NMU) at Okerenkoko in Warri South-West Area of Delta State.
He added that the FG must address the environmental degradation problem as well as the poor infrastructure as contained in the Kaiama Declaration.
While asking the president to ensure good funding of intervention agencies such as the Ministry of Niger Delta, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and the Amnesty Programme, the group tasked the Buhari-led administration to stop waging anti-corruption war against only prominent Ijaws.
The INC, however, advised Niger Delta youths, especially the NDA and other affiliate groups to halt the current bombings of oil installations to allow for dialogue.
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