1,500mw of Power Lost to Militancy as Avengers Bomb NPDC Pipeline

1,500mw of Power Lost to Militancy as Avengers Bomb NPDC Pipeline

The recent spate of attacks by militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) and affiliate bodies in the Niger Delta region has led to the loss of about 1,500 megawatts of electricity, due to gas supply shortages caused by the destruction of pipelines.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in its financial and operations report made public on Thursday also stated that the reduction in supply has reduced the capacity of the Warri refining and petrochemical company from 25.65 per cent in March to 6. 36 per cent in April this year.

Vanguard however reports that Nigeria’s power generation as at Thursday, stood at 2,087.90 megawatts, against its lowest generation of 820.5mw, recorded on Wednesday.

NNPC in its report, also said it lost about N19.43 billlion in April because crude oil supply dropped from 59.27 million barrels in February to 57.43 million barrels in March.

The report further stated that 541 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, was delivered to gas fired power plants in April this year, to generate an average power of about 2,466mw. The same plants received an average average gas supply of 686 mscfd in May 2015 and generated 2,969mw of electricity that month.

The militant group, NDA, is however unrelenting. In a statement on Thursday by its spokesperson, Brig-General Mudoch Agbinibo, the group called on international community to support its quest for self-determination and campaign for the secession of the Niger Delta region from Nigeria. A portion of the statement read:

“We want our resources back to restore the essence of human life in our region for generations to come because Nigeria has failed to do that. The world should not wait until we go the Sudan way.

“Since the day crude oil was discovered in commercial quantity  in Oloibiri, present day Bayelsa State, what we have been asking successive governments in Nigeria is potable drinking water, electricity, roads, employment, quality education/educational facilities, resource control, participation in the oil business and inclusive government that will engender substantial freedom,”

Meanwhile, the militant group is suspected to be behind another attack on a pipeline owned by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

According to The Nation, the pipeline, which supplies both Warri and Kaduna refineries, was attacked at about 7:40pm on Thursday. The location of the pipeline is said to be within Kurutie community, the home base of ex-militant warlord, Chief Government Ekpemupolo’s (Tompolo) father.