A clash between rival militant groups in the riverine community of Abonnema, some 30kms from Port Harcourt, capital of Nigeria’s River state in the oil producing Niger Delta, has left one soldier and three militants dead, military sources said Wednesday. Spokesman for the joint military task force deployed to the region, Lt.-Col Sagir Musa, said the soldiers were deployed to the community after the task force was alerted to a clash between the rival gangs Tuesday evening. He said the gangs engaged the soldiers in a shootout, causing the death of 1 soldier and three of the militants, while the remaining militants escaped. The military spokesman said normalcy has since been restored to the community. Violence in the oil region has slashed Nigeria’s oil production by one fifth. The latest clashes came on the same day the region’s largest militant group – Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) – blew up two major oil pipelines operated by Shell in the oil region, forcing the company to shut in production.
