By Our Correspondent

There is tension in Delta state following a threat from a new militant group, the Utorogun Liberation Movement (ULM) to destroy the Utorogun gas plant in Ughelli which supplies gas to Egbin Power Station, Lagos, and other facilities under Oil Mining Lease, OML 34 in Ughelli south local government area of the state.

Niger Delta Avengers.

According to reports, the leader of the group Gen K Omovudu in an address to the host community in a statement on Thursday, June 16, said the ULM was working in collaboration with another group, the Outgas Force.

Omovudu said the awareness of things happening in the environment of the host community had necessitated agitation for economic balance.

“We have a common enemy, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC and ND Western who hate your progress and wish you died in poverty.

“They threaten our stability, disregard us. This area is the heart of hydrocarbon industries in Nigeria and other countries responsible for a huge chunk of the nation’s oil earnings. The question concerning how many barrels of oil and gas this our field produces remain unanswered, our hopes far from what we are witnessing,” the group said.

The militants told the communities that if they failed to fight, they will face a precarious future.

It also extended an invitation to people within the community who wanted to join its ranks.

“The door is widely open for anybody within this region to join the exercise, text your names and community to these numbers -08029936321, 08074237107. Do not call; you will receive text of days of meetings few days from now,” the group stated.

Meanwhile the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) have launched another attack on an oil installation in Akwa Ibom state.

In the early morning of June 16, Thursday, the militants announced they have attacked the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline located in Oruk Anam local government area of the state.

This latest attack comes as the move to negotiate with militants in the Niger Delta region suffered a set back as Henry Ajumogobia rejected the position of negotiator.