N’Delta violence: Casualty figures rise By Sola Adebayo

Tension heightened in the restive Niger Delta on Saturday as uncertainties over the fate of 13 foreign nationals in the hands of militants persisted.

The 13, identified as Filipinos, were among those feared dead in the Friday‘s exchange between the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, and the warlords in the region.

As the search for the foreigners continued, the militants early Saturday used dynamites to blow up the Escravos/Warri/Kaduna crude pipeline, popularly known as Chanomi Creeks pipeline and Escravos/Warri Gas pipeline from the Escravos base of the American oil giant, Chevron Nigeria Limited.

The Chanomi Creeks pipeline, which conveys crude oil from the fields of CNL in Escravos to Warri and Kaduna refineries was recently repaired for $57million.

The two refining plants relied on the crude supplied through the pipelines for their operations.

The fate of the pipelines indicated that the shut down of the two refineries was imminent.

The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, cut short his trip abroad, arriving at Warri on Saturday morning to hold a marathon meeting with security agents, political and ethnic leaders in the state, especially from the Ijaw axis at the Governor‘s Lodge Annex, Warri.

Our Correspondent also reported a very low activity in the oil industry as managements of companies in the region have chosen to scale down their operations in the wake of violence unleashed in the area since Friday.

SUNDAY PUNCH findings on Saturday showed that only 10, out of the 23 hostages – four Nigerians and 19 Filipinos – seized by the militants aboard two ocean going ships, CM Spirit and MT Chikana, on Wednesday were rescued after the federal troops on Friday took over the Camp 5 base of Chief Government Ekpomukpolo whose men were believed to have abducted the victims.

The JTF operatives in the early hours of Saturday again shelled the militants‘ camps in the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

After the renewed bombardment on Saturday, the spokesman of JTF, Col. Rabe Abubakar, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the security agency rescued only 10 hostages, adding that the whereabouts of the others could not be ascertained as at 5pm.

Abubakar said, “Our troops have captured Camp 5 during the search and rescue operations in Chanomi Creeks on Friday. There was resistance and consequent gun duel between the JTF and the criminals. The militants were forced to retreat.

”We rescued 10 hostages, identified as six Filipinos and four Nigerians and we recovered two hijacked vessels when we eventually overpowered them. Also, a lot of arms and ammunition of different calibres, including anti aircrafts guns, dynamites and many speedboats were recovered by the troops.

”Two soldiers were seriously injured but their conditions are stable. Many militants were killed and many were seriously wounded.”

Specifically asked about the remaining hostages, Abubakah said, ”There is no indication about any other foreign national and we have not seen any manifest.”

The fragile peace in the restive oil rich region snapped again on Friday as the JTF, following the order of President Umaru Yar‘Adua, deployed two warships, NNS Obula and NNS Nwamba, as well as four helicopter gunboats, 14 gunboats and 7,000 troops to avenge the death of 12 soldiers allegedly killed by militants loyal to Ekpomukpolo.

The war broke out on Friday as the JTF attempted to take over the popular Camp 5 and Iroko Camp operated by a notable warlord in the Niger Delta, Ekpomukpolo, popularly known as Tompolo, in the coastal Gbaramatu Kingdom.

However, grief enveloped Delta State on Saturday following report that many militants and innocent residents of the coastal communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, especially Okerenkoko, Kunukunuma, Oporoza and Kurutie were killed in by the federal troops in their desperation to capture Camp 5 and apprehend the militants‘leaders.

At the meeting between Uduaghan and the elders, our orrespondent gathered that it was resolved that the state government should prevail on the military authorities and the Presidency to stop further action in the creeks.

Sunday Punch learnt that the meeting further mandated some elders and youth leaders to prevail on the restive youths in the creeks to stop further provocative actions and to desist from any further attack on oil facilities in the area.

As the JTF kept its losses from Friday‘s mayhem under wraps, findings by Sunday Punch investigation showed that one of the warships deployed in Camp 5 was hit by dynamites by the militants.

The ship was identified as NNS Obula.

However, Sunday Punch could not ascertain the number of casualties and the extent of damage to the military equipment in the incident which occurred along Chanomi Channels in Warri South West LGA.

The JTF was also reported to have suffered heavy casualties in the Friday‘s mayhem.

The Escravos/Warri Gas pipeline, whose repair also gulped some millions of dollars recently supplies gas from the Escravos fields of CNL to the Nigerian Gas Company, a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, for onward distribution to industrial consumers of gas nationwide.

The two pipelines are operated by NNPC. The fate of the two pipelines which were located side by side, threw the management of the corporation into confusion on Saturday.

Already, the management of the NGC has alerted its customers, including the ailing Power Holding Company of Nigeria, about the latest development. It was gathered that the NGC may declare a force majuere, which means the inability to meet customers‘ demand on Saturday night.

Abubakah confirmed the latest fate of the pipelines in a telephone interview with Sunday Punch on Saturday evening.

Meanwhile, our correspondent reported that Delta State, especially its coastal axis was tension soaked on Saturday. Security situation in the riverside areas was unclear as the JTF barred movements along the waterways. This development has led to severe hardship and deprivations in the riverside areas.

The injured and those fleeing the restive coastal communities could not access the hinterlands. The federal troops menacingly patrol the waterways and creeks apparently in search of the warlords.

The federal troops were reported to have taken effective control of the camp 5 while chasing its operators. The whereabouts of Ekpomukpolo could not be ascertained.

The federal troops were reported to be on red alert following the threat by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to block all vessels‘movement through Port Harcourt channels, Onne, Eket, Bonny on Saturday night. It was gathered that other militants‘ leaders in the region, planned the action in solidarity with Ekpomukpolo. The MEND said JTF locations had been targeted for attacks.

Consequently, Sunday Punch gathered that all JTF locations and gunboats have been put on red alert to avert unwholesome developments.