By Naija247news Reporter
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Bayelsa/Nigeria – April 12, 2025 – The recent spate of coordinated sabotage attacks on Oando Plc’s key oil and gas pipelines in Bayelsa State has sent shockwaves across the Niger Delta, amid fears that the unfolding political turbulence in neighbouring Rivers State may be fueling a resurgence of militant activity in Nigeria’s oil-rich region.
Oando, Nigeria’s leading indigenous energy company, confirmed that no fewer than three of its strategic pipelines — including the 18-inch Tebidaba-Brass crude oil pipeline in Brass and the 24-inch Ogboinbiri-Obiobi gas line in Southern Ijaw — were hit by what the company described as “deliberate acts of sabotage.”
The attacks come barely days after Oando finalized its acquisition of Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC), in a move that boosted its daily production output by over 40%. In a statement, the company disclosed that emergency response and repair teams have been deployed while joint investigations with relevant security agencies are ongoing.
However, industry stakeholders and security analysts say the timing of the attacks is no coincidence, linking them to the escalating political crisis in Rivers State — the epicentre of Nigeria’s oil and gas wealth.
Rivers, which borders Bayelsa to the west, is currently reeling from a constitutional crisis following President Bola Tinubu’s controversial intervention. Amid a bitter face-off between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged political godfather, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, the presidency reportedly suspended Fubara and appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd) as interim administrator — a move critics describe as unconstitutional and reminiscent of military-era governance.
The political chaos, marked by defections, impeachments, legislative walkouts, and street protests, has sparked fears that militant groups, long dormant in the creeks, could exploit the power vacuum and weakened governance structure to resume attacks on oil installations.
Local sources suggest that the same criminal networks profiting from illegal oil bunkering may now be emboldened by the disorder gripping Rivers State — a development that could further erode investor confidence in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Security experts have called on the federal government to not only restore democratic order in Rivers State but also deploy robust surveillance and intelligence assets across the Niger Delta to forestall a broader insurgency that could cripple oil exports.
“The sabotage of Oando’s pipelines is not an isolated event. It’s a warning shot — one that signals that without political stability, Nigeria’s energy infrastructure remains dangerously exposed,” said a former Niger Delta amnesty official who spoke under condition of anonymity.
With global crude prices inching upward and Nigeria struggling to meet its OPEC quota due to persistent theft and vandalism, these latest attacks could have far-reaching economic implications if not quickly contained.
Naija247news will continue to monitor developments across the oil corridor as Nigeria’s twin challenges of political instability and economic sabotage unfold.
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