Nigerian army presence prompts Niger Delta attacks

 

Niger Delta Avengers say military's "harassment of communities" in the region is spurring on renewed attacks.

President Muhammadu Buhari sent army reinforcements to the Niger Delta in May to hunt down fighters [EPA]

A Nigerian armed group said the continued presence of the army in the southern Niger Delta energy hub has

undermined peace talks and prompted attacks on oil-and-gas facilities in the region.

The Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) spoke out days after the oil minister urged fighters to stop attacks following strikes on the Trans Forcados Pipeline, the most recent of which was claimed by the group.

Most of the armed opposition have adhered to a ceasefire in the last few weeks, while the government held talks with community leaders who, like the NDA, want a greater share of Nigeria's energy wealth to go to the region that produces most of its oil.

"The Niger Delta Avengers cannot be blamed for the continuous bombing of crude oil export pipelines and other oil installations, since the government has been relentlessly carrying out military build-ups to continuously harass communities," the group said on its website.

President Muhammadu Buhari sent army reinforcements in May to hunt down fighters, a move that stoked anger as residents complained of rape, looting, and arrests of youths unrelated to the armed group, charges denied by the military.