MEND Claims Responsibility for NNPC Jetty Explosion

  NNPC jetty explosion

                                                               

•   PENGASSAN calls for probe   

Ernest Chinwo

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s explosion at the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) jetty, Okrika, Rivers State,  which left an unspecified number of people
dead and scores injured.

This came as the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) called for urgent probe of the incident.

In a statement posted online  Monday afternoon, MEND said the explosion was part of its Operation ‘Hurricane Exodus” aimed at sabotaging oil installations in the Niger Delta region.

The statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, read, “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) takes responsibility for the sabotage on Sunday, 18 May, 2014 , on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Refinery Jetty pipelines in Okrika, Rivers State of Nigeria” .