Nigerian military issues alert on plans to attack Shell facilities

LAGOS, April 12 - Nigerian military operating in the oil rich Niger Delta region has issued an alert on a plot to attack a facility of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) in the region.

The military spokesman in the region Timothy Antigha disclosed this in a statement reaching here late on Sunday.

According to him, there have been plans by certain people in the region to inflict serious damage on Shell Petroleum Development Company's oil and gas infrastructure in the Niger Delta.

"The Joint Task Force (JTF) wishes to advise those behind the plot to abandon the idea immediately in their interest and that of the nation," the officer said.

Antigha also warned that the government's amnesty program and other measures taken to consolidate its gains had not in anyway diminished the capability of the JTF as a military outfit.

"Consequently, the JTF warns that it will destroy any group of ex-militants or emerging militants who attempt to sabotage oil and gas installations or dislocate the prevailing peace and tranquility in the Niger Delta," he stressed.

The military spokesman appealed to Nigerians and foreigners within and outside the Niger Delta area to disregard the threat and continue with their legitimate businesses.

"Parents, traditional rulers and well-meaning interest groups are advised to warn their children, subjects and adherents respectively, to refrain from tampering with government installations," he said.

"This is to enable the Federal Government to concentrate its efforts on addressing the multifaceted problems facing the region, "he added.