The statement issued via the groups official website blames international oil companies for raping the Niger Deltas natural resources while doing nothing for the region or the people of the Niger Delta who “live in terror of poverty, inhumanity and desolate living conditions while people working for the multinational oil corporations live like kings.”

Despite the group having blown up almost a dozen oil installations in the last few months the statement says: “We are calling on the international community especially Britain, France, the United State of America, Russia, China and the European Union to speak up against this ongoing terror and come to the aid of the Niger Delta. As witnesses to this grave inhumanity and history of terror perpetuated against the people of the Niger Delta daily.

“This history of terror, we the Niger Delta Avengers will resist and correct with every means necessary. We have nothing to loose in the battles ahead; justice they say is only found within the structure of a nations state, rather than provide this justice the Nigerian government has decided to mobilise her military might to intimidate, torture, maim, victimise and bombard a section of the nations state and her citizenry to allow the free flow of our oil.”

The situation is Nigeria has got so bad that the crisis has influenced the oil price with 600,000 barrels per day lost due to the terror attacks inflicted on western oil companies by the Niger Delta Militants. Both Shell and Chevron have been forced to shut down operations in the worst hit areas.

Nigeria has also lost its position as Africa’s biggest producer to Angola.