Niger Delta Avengers deny NNPC attack on Tuesday

July 6 (Reuters) – Nigerian militant group the Niger Delta Avengers denied responsibility for blowing up the NNPC pipeline in Eleme on Tuesday, adding it was closing all its social network accounts.

The group issued a statement on its website on Wednesday saying that a fraudulent social media account had claimed the attack on its behalf, adding that it would use its website to circulate its messages in the future.

The Avengers said “any group that wants to do anything should go about their activities without tagging us”, adding, “Instead do your activities and claim responsibility.”

Click here to watch production manager Dave Kuhnert explain how EndurAlloy™ production tubing has cut Crownquest Operating LLC’s Permian Basin well operating costs and extended well run-times.

The insurgents, whose attacks on energy facilities in Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta in recent months have pushed the country’s oil production to 30-year lows, are splintered into factions which each have their own list of demands.

The Avengers, who have claimed responsibility for the majority of attacks, are the best known group.

It was reported on Tuesday that the Avengers had blown up a pipeline operated by the state oil company NNPC.

The group also said on Tuesday that its only account on microblogging website Twitter was under suspension and all other accounts claiming to represent the group were imposters.

(Reporting by Parikshit Mishra, in Bengaluru, and Alexis Akwagyiram, in Lagos; Editing by Toby Chopra)