MEND attacks Exxon Mobil facility and kidnaps seven workers

Nigeria's main militant group the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for an attack on Exxon Mobil's oil platform in Akwa Ibom state, and the kidnapping of seven Nigerian workers. The US based energy firm said men boarded the offshore facility, operated by its Mobil Producing Nigeria unit in a joint venture with the state-run Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), but gave no further details. The attack and subsequent seizure of seven Exxon Mobil employees was confirmed by MEND's spokesman Jomo Gbomo.

In an email to Nigeria authorities, Gbomo said that in the next few weeks, the group intends to, “launch a major operation that will simultaneously affect oil facilities across the Niger delta.” He also said that the oil workers were “taken to prevent the Nigerian government from attributing the damage to this facility to an industrial accident,” further adding that “no amount of military activities will secure the release of these hostages” who shall be released “at our time.”

The Niger Delata region, home to Nigeria's oil and gas industry, has seen a surge of violence since a government amnesty in 2009 led to the disarming of thousands of fighters and a period of relative quiet. Nigerian authorities and security agencies have been informed of the latest attack and “appropriate” response measures are under way said Exxon Mobil in an e-mailed statement.

Sources: Bloomberg, Reuters

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

Charles Okah arrested in connection to Abuja twin bombings

Henry Okah's brother, Charles Ohak, has been arrested in Lagos in connection to the twin bombings in Abuja. The attack on 1st October, to celebrate Nigeria's 50th anniversary of independence, killed at least 12 people. Henry Okah was detained in South Africa shortly after the bombings and is facing terrorism charges.

Henry Okah, former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) has denied links to the Abuja bombings but prosecutors say he was the mastermind behind the attack. Okah left Nigeria for South Africa after being freed from prison in July 2009.

Mend had issued a threat saying it intended to target the independence event shortly before the two blasts. An email warning of another bomb attack in Abuja was sent on Saturday and signed Jomo Gbomo. Nigerian police believe that Charles Okah used the pseudonym Jomo Gbomo, "to threaten and cause confusion" in emailed statements.

Charles Okah was arrested during a raid on his home in Lagos on Saturday [16th October]. According to an unnamed source Charles Okah was "mentioned” by other suspects as a “source of funds for the blast”.

Source: BBC News

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.

Diezani Alison-Madueke ready to tackle Nigeria's oil industry reforms

Nigeria's Oil Minister Diezani Alison-Madueke will take her seat as the first female oil minister in OPEC when the group meets in Vienna on 14th October. It is expected that Alison-Madueke will bring to light President Goodluck Jonathan's struggle with international oil companies and insurgent groups whose continued attacks have slowed investment in to the country for the past five years.

Among many of her challenges, one will be to see through the parliament a Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB), already disparaged by international oil companies for giving too much revenue and control to the state. Another is to manage a government plan to hand over 10 per cent of petroleum income to communities in Niger Delta to appease militant groups. Alison-Madueke is also expected to argue Nigeria's case for a larger oil quota, the source of 80 per cent of government revenue.

Talking about her new role she said that it “comes with a great onus of responsibility,” which rests on her shoulders alone. She also said that although OPEC “has done very well over the last 50 years,” the energy sector is changing, particularly its effect on the environment and that it is therefore important to take note of the changes.

As regards Nigeria's OPEC quota, Alison-Madueke said it was set during a particularly turbulent time of militant attacks that had impacted on the country oil production, and added that the quota should be reviewed. Nigeria's official quota is 1.673 million b/d, although it pumped about 2 million b/d last month alone.

Another issue to tackle will be that of implementing the proposed oil and gas law without alienating international oil companies, some of whom have expressed concern that the law would increase taxes making it unprofitable to invest in Nigeria's deepwater fields. As well as that, Nigeria's plan to give a 10 per cent oil and gas stake to Niger Delta communities, in order to reduce hostility toward oil companies, may prove more difficult than initially expected. A spokesman for Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) Jomo Gbomo has said that Alison-Madueke is too “elitist” to empathise with the militant cause and that she has no clue as to what the “struggle is all about.”

However, Alison-Madueke is determined to see the plan through and vowed to work closely with the Niger Delta communities to do so. She also said that Nigeria is going to engage international oil companies in “constant discussion” until they “feel part of the bill,” although Nigeria's national interest remains her primary focus.

Source: Bloomberg

For more news and expert analysis about Nigeria, please see Nigeria Focus and Nigeria Politics & Security.