Again, Gunmen Attack Addax Vessel
From Ahamefula Ogbu in Port Harcourt, 06.11.2008
Barely 24 hours after a security vessel belonging to Addax Petroleum, an indigenous oil firm, was attacked offshore, another vessel belonging to the company was again attacked yesterday morning.
Reports say one naval personnel was killed, while two civilians were wounded.
The vessel, Seacor Macor, said to have been heading to Athan field sailed into an area where militants allegedly identified and tried to seize the vessel with its content.
Immediately the hoodlums sighted the vessel, they allegedly allowed it to sail within their weapons range before opening fire on it.
The vessel was under the guard of naval personnel from NNS Victory in Calabar, Cross River State.
The naval personnel were said to have returned fire and in the exchange, an officer was killed, while civilians on boars sustained various degrees of injuries.
Confirming the attack, spokesman of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, said he did not have the details since it happened outside the jurisdiction of the JTF Operation Flush III.
He said it appeared that at least one personnel was killed in the attack, adding that he could not say if there was any casualty on the part of the attackers.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) and the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) had both threatened to carry out attacks against federal interests in the oil and gas sector.
The militant groups said they were going to attack because of the raid by soldiers on some Ijaw villages where soldiers said they were looking for arms and razed them down.
The gunmen had on Monday attacked a security vessel, Altra G, belonging to the same company.
The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) in Port Harcourt had on Monday said its personnel on board the vessel had repelled the attack, adding that no casualty was recorded.
Commenting on the attack, President and Chief Executive Officer of Addax Petroleum, Jean Claude Gandur, said one of the firm’s contractors was killed in the attack, while one naval personnel and a crew member were injured.
He said: "First and foremost, we are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and those of the injured personnel.
“Secondly, we believe that violent criminal attacks of this nature are perpetrated opportunistically by lawless criminal elements and, whilst they do not present a substantive threat to our operations, they nevertheless cause us great concern regarding the safety of both our and our contractors’ personnel.
“We believe that the timing of this incident is unfortunate and coincidental, particularly as the events relating to yesterday’s (Monday) incident remain unclear. Our approach to security on all of our operations is to work closely with our host communities and local security forces, harnessing the strong goodwill and excellent relationships that we have patiently built over the years and value so much.
“We will continue to apply these principles and redouble our security efforts to deter these tragic and lawless acts.”
Gandur said full investigations into this criminal incident are under way by local and federal security and government agencies and by Addax Petroleum.
