Urhobo Militant Group Emerges, Threatens to Attack Utorogun Gas Plant, OML 34 Facilities

Urhobo Militant Group Emerges, Threatens to Attack Utorogun Gas Plant, OML 34 Facilities

A suspected Urhobo militant group identified as Utorogun Liberation Movement (ULM) has today emerged, threatening to join in the destruction of oil facilities located mainly on upland area of Delta State.

The group, believed to be far away from the usual militant groups already agitating is located in Urhoboland, in the state.

Its emergence is an indication that all ethnic groups are beginning to form different bodies through which to articulate their peculiar interests on development in the Niger Delta region in the circumstance that the federal government holds its planned dialogue with stakeholders.

Announcing its emergence yesterday, the group threatened to destroy all oil and gas facilities including the Utorogun Gas Plant located in Ughelli in Ughelli South and Udu Local government Areas of the state.

Utorogun Gas Plant which supplies gas to the Egbin Power Station in Lagos, ULM also promised to attack other all prime oil and gas targets under Oil Mining Lease (OML 34) in the council areas respectively.

In a message written on a banner which signed by one Gen. K. Omovudu and flown near the motor park in Jeremi, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area, the ULM declared it was in a secessionist move, operating in alliance with “Outgas Force”.

The group’s message to Utorogun oil and gas field host communities under OML 34 read: “My good people of Utorogun community, Otu-Jeremi, Otor-Udu, Iwkrekan, Ekakpamre and all oil and pipeline communities within this region this is the voice of ULM in collaboration with Outgas Force.

“It is a secessionist move. The awareness of things happening in our environment is a means to outline our course of action. The awareness is an agitation for economic balance. We have a common enemy, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) and ND Western which hate your progress and wish you die in poverty.

“They threaten our stability, disregard us. This area is the heart of hydrocarbon industries in Nigeria and other countries also responsible for a huge chunk of the nation’s oil earnings. The question concerning how many barrels of oil and gas this field produces remain unanswered, and our hopes far from what we are witnessing.

‘If we fail to fight, we will face a precarious future. The door is widely open for anybody within this region to join the exercise. Text your name and community to these numbers (withheld). Don’t call, you will receive text of days of meetings few days from now.”

Residents who woke up to see the banner notice were seen gathered at the spot reading and discussing the message in  hush tone.