The relative post-amnesty peace in southeast Nigeria's Delta State was disrupted as some youths blew up oil pipelines operated by Chevron at Otumara and Makaraba flow stations in the state, security sources told Xinhua on Saturday.
The resumed attack came on Friday in protest of the killing of three contractors at the multi-billion naira Chevron's Escravos- Gas-To-Liquid
(EGTL) plant by soldiers over a minor issue.
Security sources said the angry youths visited the flow stations around 4:00 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) and blew them up with explosives.
The attack reportedly met with no resistance from operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF), code-named "Operation Restore Hope", stationed in
the areas.
The Niger Delta is an unstable area where inter-ethnic clashes are commonplace. Access to oil revenue is the trigger for the violence. Attacks
and bunkering on oil pipelines in the Niger Delta have cut Nigeria's output by around a fifth in recent years.
Over 300 foreigners have been seized in the Niger Delta since 2006. Almost all have been released unharmed after paying a ransom. The unrest in the region has forced many international firms to flee the area. The government has mobilized the Nigerian army and coast guard in an anti-banditry operation.