New pipeline sabotage in Nigeria’s Niger Delta reignites tensions

Two armed groups operating in the oil-rich Niger Delta region in southern Nigeria claimed several attacks on pipelines over the past week, according to local sources cited by Agence France-Presse on 13 April. The Niger Delta and Bakassi Liberation Army (L.A.N.D. & B) and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) targeted a main pipeline leading to a terminal in Bayelsa State, halting some crude transport operations.

Flow disruptions and economic losses

Nigerian oil company Oando, which recently acquired facilities previously owned by Italian group Agip, confirmed three separate sabotage incidents during the week. These events led to the temporary closure of a major pipeline, directly impacting revenue streams for both the company and the Nigerian state. Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Heineken Lokpobiri visited the site and stated, “Each day of closure results in substantial revenue losses not only for the federal government but also for the company and local communities.”

Response to state of emergency declaration

The two groups said their actions were a direct response to the state of emergency declared by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Rivers State. The presidential decision, announced in March, followed several months of internal political disputes, leading to the suspension of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and other elected state officials. President Tinubu appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as interim administrator for a six-month period.

Background and regional outlook

MEND is not new to sabotage operations. Active in the 2000s, its campaign significantly reduced Nigeria’s crude output until a government amnesty programme in 2009 ended the unrest. The resurgence of attacks on energy infrastructure could undermine economic reforms launched by President Tinubu, as the country emerges from one of the worst cost-of-living crises in decades.