Militants say they will destroy Nigerian oil pipelines within 30 days

LAGOS, Nigeria: Nigeria’s main militant group threatened Wednesday to destroy the nation’s major oil pipelines within 30 days to counter allegations it had struck a $12 million deal with the government to protect them.

The state-run oil company, however, denied the existence of such a deal and said local media had misquoted company officials.


A spokesman for the militant Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta alleged the director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had claimed his state-run organization paid militants millions of dollars to protect pipelines instead of attacking them.

To prove “we are not a part of this deal, the Chanomi Creek pipeline and other major pipelines will be destroyed within the next 30 days,” the militant statement said.

AP