Militants Attack Chevron Oil Facility in Nigeria

Source: AP

Armed militants attacked a major Chevron oil and gas facility off Nigeria's southern coast, the military said Friday, and the U.S.-based multinational said it was forced to shut production there but its exports will continue.

A new group called the Niger Delta Avengers said it bombed Chevron's Okan platform on Wednesday and warned international companies that "the Nigerian military can't protect your facilities."

"This is what we promised the Nigeria government. Since they have refused to listen to us, we are going to bring the country's economy to zero," a statement said, threatening more attacks including in Abuja, the capital in central Nigeria, and Lagos, the commercial center in the southwest.

Security forces launched an offensive this year after militants renewed attacks that forced the closure of two oil refineries and a major export terminal, aggravating fuel and power shortages. President Muhammadu Buhari last week ordered military chiefs to the region and vowed to treat "vandals and saboteurs" as terrorists. The military has denied reports of extrajudicial killings in the campaign but more than 10,000 civilians have fled the fallout.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/militants-attack-chevron-oil-facility-nigeria-shut-38921352