Andy Esiet, Calabar
Suspected militant loyalists of Biafra Nations League (BnL), have set a Cameroonian oil vessel ablaze , leaving two escorts dead.
Top sources close to the group said, the incidence happened at about 4am yesterday in Idabato subdivision, in Bakassi Peninsula, an area controlled by Cameroon.
The sources said the vessel was not on the move when militants opened fire on the escorts and set it ablaze and later fled before the arrival of the Rapid d’intervention Battalion (BIR) backup.
In a reaction, the leader of BnL, Princewill Richards said the BnL has declared a stop to vessels taking oil in the Eastern end of the Gulf of Guinea, warning that they are endangering their lives.
He said that, “it is deaf ear that is leading to this crises, we have told them to stop sending vessels to take our oil, so anything they see from the boys they should take it, although I don’t know people that burnt down the vessel, we are still investigating that”
Richards claimed that “the Bakassi oil is shared between Nigeria and Cameroon with Nigeria 70 percent, Cameroon 30 percent. Cameroon drills the oil and share the percentage and they are not keeping to agreement” .
He said that the reasons for the attack is not unconnected with the agitation lto press home for Biafra, and also expose the plight of the indigenes and to draw international attention”.
