Shooting heightens tensions in Nigerian oil delta

PORT HARCOURT, Nov 17 (Reuters) – Nigerian militants accused the army of threatening a ceasefire in the oil-producing Niger Delta on Tuesday by raiding a former rebel commander’s home, but the military said it was just responding to reports of shooting.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said the military joint taskforce (JTF) had raided the Kula community in Rivers state in search of weapons and targeted the home of one of its former commanders, Christian don Pedro.

A military spokesman denied the taskforce had gone on the offensive, saying it had been alerted to several hours of shooting overnight and had gone to investigate. He denied MEND’s claims that don Pedro’s home had been destroyed.

The disturbance is the first reported unrest in the Niger Delta since an amnesty offer ended six weeks ago. Leading militant commanders, including don Pedro, and thousands of their followers handed over weapons under the programme.

Reuters