Militant Threat / Nigeria 01-051120

THREAT AGAINST OIL & GAS

 

Event: Militant threats

 

Date and Time: 5 November 2020

 

Location: Niger Delta, Nigeria

 

Description: A statement reported to have come from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has been released by local media. The statement includes a threat against
Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) over its alleged contravention of the Local Content Act in appointing expatriates to positions in SPDC and the “politics of selective implementation as demonstrated by the SPDC”.

 

The statement singled out the appointment of an expatriate employee over Nigerians, and stated that “We are by this letter giving Shell
a marching ultimatum to immediately replace [the expatriate employee] with a Niger Deltan in line with the Local Content Act, or face a total dismantling of its operations, including the generality of oil and gas operations in the Niger Delta.”

 

Analysis: MEND were one of the major militant groups involved in the Niger Delta militancy crisis in the 2000s. Since then, their strength is unknown as many key figures have since left the group
and attention has been drawn to other militant groups in the region. However, they do continue to issue statements such as this through spokespersons such as “General” Gbomo Jommo. Furthermore the group in this statement is likely capitalising on ongoing protests
in Nigeria against police brutality and also the subject of racism and Black Lives Matter protests that have taken place in many countries this year, with the reference to “white supremacy” in the statement likely used to gain the attention of the international
community.