Nigeria/Niger-Delta: Tension Rising As Niger-Delta Militants Blow UP Oil Pipelines in Delta State

Immediately after the election, I read some articles from Northern youths forum seeking the newly elected president to do his best to unify the entire country, irrespective of the fact of who they voted for. But the advice obviously fell on deaf ears. A president, once elected is for the entire country. But it appears that in the case of president Buhari, he is very vindictive, angry and clearly showed it in his news conference in United States during one of his visits there. When asked by a journalist about uniting the country, he said, and I quote  “you do not expect me to treat those that voted massively for me as those who gave me just 5% vote” unquote.
That marked the defining moment on how this presdent would lead the country. A president that would see those who didn’t vote for him as not deserving of his services as a president. Now, the president didn’t know that 5% of the country could make his leadership a living hell or the country ungovernable. This would destroy all efforts to bring any dividends  of his leadership to the people, even to his 95% he wants to favour. He also forgot that the 85% of the resources of his government comes from the soil of the 5% constituency who didn’t vote for him. He should have seen what that did to president Olusegun Obasanjo and the late president Umaru  Musa Yar’Adua, until he made peace through amnesty.
Now, the nerves are tense and the tension are rising, and it appears that the Niger-delta militants are going to come right back to make the life of the president a living hell. How can he afford to distract himself and suffer the consequences just like president Olusegun Obasanjo and president Umaru Musa Yar’Adua? Even if he is going to be heavy handed like Obasanjo, he is still not going to help issues but rather the crisis could metamorphose into break away of Biafra. Some may not see the connection but a full blown onslaught on Niger-delta could metamorphose into something that could benefit Biafra.

Hours after a court ordered the arrest of a former Niger Delta warlord, Government Ekpemupolo aka Tompolo, some Niger Delta militants this morning blew up strategic oil pipelines in Warri South West local government area in Delta state.

Blownup pipeline

Scene from the blown up pipeline in Niger-Delta

The militants in other coordinated attacks, blew up oil pipelines between Ikpokpo and Odidi flow stations, mostly in Gbaramatu kingdom. Residents of the area say the attacks started shortly before midnight and lasted till the early hours of Friday morning. Most of them have fled their homes for fear of a gun battle between the militants and the military.


The price of petrol is already high and the supply is scarce, but this will definitely not help in any form or way. This president must do his best to get over his anger and pride and reach out to the entire country or else his efforts will meet taut resistance. Now is the time, and it is not too late. But the time is not on his side.

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