New Group, Red Scorpion blows up Shell Pipeline in Imo State

A new militant group, the Red Scorpion, has carried out its threat to blow up oil installations and pipelines belonging to the Shell Petroleum Develop­ment Corporation in Awara, Ohaji/Egbema Local Govern­ment Area of Imo State.
The group, which on Tuesday warned that it would destroy the pipelines because of the exclusion of its mem­bers from the Federal Gov­ernment’s dialogue with Niger Delta militants, hit the facili­ties on Thursday.

A source close to the lead­ership of the group said the at­tack was a warning that mili­tants in Imo should no longer be sidelined by the Federal Government.
The group said that it will continue to attack Shell facil­ities as long as it was neglect­ed by the government.
In their Facebook post, the militants had demand­ed that equal rights should be given to all oil-producing ar­eas in the country.
The oil installations be­longing to Elf Petroleum in Awara were earlier blown up by the Red Scorpion.
Prior to the attack, the Imo State House of Assembly had kicked against the exclusion of the state from the proposed dialogue by the Federal Gov­ernment and the Niger Delta Avengers.
When contacted, the State Command Police Public Rela­tions Officer, Andrew Enwer­em, said that the command was hinted of the incident but could not ascertain the extent of the damage.
He said: “We got the re­port of 5u3 destruction of oil installation at Awara, but we are yet to know the extent of the damage.”