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Nigeria oil giant 'paid rebels' | Nigeria oil giant 'paid rebels' |
(about 1 hour later) | |
The head of Nigeria's national oil company has said it paid millions of dollars to militants to protect the country's oil infrastructure. | The head of Nigeria's national oil company has said it paid millions of dollars to militants to protect the country's oil infrastructure. |
Abubakar Yar'Adua of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made the comments to a national assembly committee. | Abubakar Yar'Adua of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) made the comments to a national assembly committee. |
He later said he had been misunderstood, and that no money was paid to the rebels. | |
A militant group responded by saying they would blow up the pipeline. | |
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) issued a statement claiming they had nothing to do with the alleged deal. | |
"To prove we were not part of the deal, the Chanomic Creek pipeline and other major pipelines will be destroyed within the next 30 days," the group said in an e-mail sent to journalists. | |
On Wednesday, public hearings began in a previously scheduled national assembly investigation into corruption in the petroleum sector. | |
It was the first time the NNPC had appeared to acknowledge paying militants. | |
In recorded comments heard by a BBC reporter in Abuja, Mr Yar'Adua told the parliamentary committee that rebels had asked for a $6m monthly fee, telling them to "take it or leave it". | In recorded comments heard by a BBC reporter in Abuja, Mr Yar'Adua told the parliamentary committee that rebels had asked for a $6m monthly fee, telling them to "take it or leave it". |
"You have to pay, that's the truth," he said. | "You have to pay, that's the truth," he said. |
He was also quoted in local newspapers as saying that the company decided to pay up to protect oil facilities sabotaged by militants after it lost $81m worth of oil in two months. | He was also quoted in local newspapers as saying that the company decided to pay up to protect oil facilities sabotaged by militants after it lost $81m worth of oil in two months. |
"The price we pay is very high. It is difficult to get expatriates to work in the Niger Delta," Mr Yar'Adua was quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper. | "The price we pay is very high. It is difficult to get expatriates to work in the Niger Delta," Mr Yar'Adua was quoted as saying in the Guardian newspaper. |
"We paid militants $12 million because we were losing $81 million to the problem of the Chanomic pipeline in Delta State." | "We paid militants $12 million because we were losing $81 million to the problem of the Chanomic pipeline in Delta State." |
It has long been suspected by human rights activists that the NNPC has been paying militant groups in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to stop their activities. | It has long been suspected by human rights activists that the NNPC has been paying militant groups in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta to stop their activities. |
Mend's spokesman Jomo Gbomo said the payments had been made to a "criminal gang". | |
"This criminal gang is not a genuine part of the Niger Delta agitation for justice but a front. They cannot be labelled as militant freedom fighters." | |
Attacks on Nigeria's oil infrastructure have cut oil production by about a quarter. | Attacks on Nigeria's oil infrastructure have cut oil production by about a quarter. |
Mr Yar'Adua's remarks were made at an investigation into missing money ministries were meant to have remitted back to the Federal Government from their budgets last year. |