Nigerian militants ignore amnesty, hit Shell oil platform

Nairobi/Abuja - Nigeria's main militant group on Monday said it had set a Royal Dutch Shell oil platform ablaze, the second attack since the Nigerian government last week offered an amnesty to militants. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has conducted a long-running campaign of sabotage in the oil-producing Niger Delta, cutting the West African nation's oil production by over 20 per cent since early 2006. MEND spokesman Jomo Gbomo said in an emailed statement that the group had attacked the Shell Forcados oil platform in Delta State in the early hours of the morning, leaving the facility on fire. Shell confirmed that an attack had taken place, but the Nigerian military denied claims that MEND has killed almost two dozen soldiers in the attack. President Umaru Yar'Adua last Thursday unveiled a 60-day amnesty for the militants, offering a presidential pardon, education and training to those who lay down their arms within that period. The Nigerian army is to cease all anti-militant operations during the 60 days. Yar'Adua also offered to release militant leader Henry Okah, who was arrested in Angola in 2007 and is facing charges of treason and gun-running. MEND responded by immediately attacking Shell's Afremo off-shore oil field. The group has since rejected the amnesty, saying it was not directed at them. 'The proclamation of amnesty seems to be directed at criminals such as armed robbers, rapists, kidnappers seeking for ransom etc,' Gbomo said. Militants operating in the oil-producing Niger Delta say they are fighting for a larger share of the wealth for local residents, who complain the oil industry has ruined their agriculture and fishing livelihoods. Criminal gangs and corrupt politicians are making vast amounts of money by stealing oil from the region, observers say. The impetus to resolve the unrest comes after Russian giant Gazprom signed a cooperation deal with Nigeria's state- owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) during a visit last Wednesday by President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev said Moscow could invest up to 2.5 billion dollars in Nigeria's energy sector as Russia tries to catch up with China in gaining a slice of Africa's natural resources. Nigeria is one of the world's top crude oil exporters, but it also has significant gas reserves. Gazprom is particularly keen to get involved in the Trans-Saharan Pipeline, which is aimed at bringing Nigerian gas to Europe.