The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has been forced to close the Warri and Kaduna refineries following the attack on some oil and gas pipelines by militants suspected to be loyalists of Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
The order by a court calling for the arrest of Tompolo sparked series of bombing of pipelines in the Gbaramatu area of Delta and this has led to security operatives storming the region.
The Guardian reports that The NNPC called for the closure of the refineries following the damages caused by the attack. This is coming at a time the country is trying to reduce importation of fuel and local refining is improving.
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed that militants and vandals in the Niger Delta region would be dealt with. This is evident in the decision made by the minister of interior, General Abdulrahman Dambazau, to visit the region and get an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
The two refineries began operation in 2015 to consolidate on the two refineries in Port Harcourt. According to the 2015 report, the poor performance of the refineries was due to vandalism.
Ohi Alegbe, the group general manager, group public affairs division of NNPC said on Tuesday, January 19 that supply has to be stopped to the vandalised pipelines.
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“We have shut down flows for now, the military are on top of the matter.”
Major General Alani Okunola,, the commander of Joint Task Force of Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta vowed that the militants responsible for the bombing of the pipelines belonging to the Nigeria Gas Company, Chevron Nigeria Limited and NNPC would soon be nabbed.
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