ERHC Energy Inc (ERHE)

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Soldiers Repel Attack on Exxon Mobil Facility
From Chika Amanze-Nwachuku and Ejiofor Alike in Lagos, and Okon Bassey in Uyo, 02.18.2009

Government security forces on Tuesday, successfully repelled an attack by suspected militants on an ExxonMobil housing compound in Eket, Akwa Ibom State, the company said yesterday.
The attack on the Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN)’s compound in Eket, where security measures were beefed up in December, following increasing spate of attacks and kidnapping in Akwa Ibom, reportedly took place around 2200 GMT on Tuesday.
Executive Director of MPN, Mrs Gloria Essien- Danner said in a statement yesterday that no casualties had been reported.“Mobil Producing Nigeria, operator of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC)/MPN Joint Venture, confirms that late on Tuesday February 17, government security forces successfully repelled unidentified armed men in the vicinity of the joint venture's Eket compound in Akwa Ibom State.
During the incident shots were fired,” she said.“No casualties have been reported. Investigation of the incident is ongoing. Appropriate government and regulatory agencies are being notified and are providing necessary support,” she added.
Security sources stated that Tuesday’s shooting lasted for about 30 minutes before the attackers were repelled on the waterways around the compound.Militants attacked an MPN platform off Akwa Ibom last month, while in December, the group attacked a convoy belonging to MPN, as it travelled towards the nearby Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) in a failed kidnap attempt.Insecurity in the Niger Delta is apparent in the three main oil-producing states of Rivers, Delta and Bayelsa, but there have been a growing number of attacks in Akwa Ibom.
Industry stakeholders yesterday expressed concern that except the Federal Government takes more strigent measures to address the problem, Nigeria ’s oil production, which has suffered setback, would reduce drastically in a few years to come.
Shell Petroleum Development and Production Company (SPDC), the worse hit, had been forced to shut in production of 180,000 barrels of oil per day (“bpd) following renewed attacks on its facilities.
Armed militants, suspected to be loyalists to Kitikata, a militant leader linked with the recent killing of soldiers in the region, also on Tuesday, invaded Shell’s Nembe Creek flowstation in Bayelsa State.
They had demanded that their militia group be recognised by SPDC management as a major interest group and must be placed on a stipend of N3million monthly.