- Ethnic/religious conflicts: More than 3m Nigerians driven from their homes
- Militants attacked Chevron Nigeria Limited’s 16-inch Makaraba-Utonana pipeline
- Gunmen killed six in Irewole, Osun
- Nigerian troops killed “scores” (estimated at forty) of Boko Haram militants and lost four soldiers in Kukawa, Borno
According to Anselm Kiefer, history speaks to artists. It changes the artist’s thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different and unexpected images.
A moral compass is found in history. It can also be seen of as a manual for historical events that, if carefully read, could serve as a guide against blunders or errors of historical events.
In an effort to increase awareness for educational purposes, WITHIN NIGERIA has highlighted four important events that occurred on February 17th in Nigerian history.
Ethnic/religious conflicts: More than 3m Nigerians driven from their homes
On this date, 13th of March in 2006, an official report revealed that ethnic and religious fighting, land disputes and communal conflicts have driven more than three million Nigerians from their homes.
According to the official report, more Nigerians have become more vulnerable, lacking absolute access to basic amenities such as water, shelter, food and others.
Militants attacked Chevron Nigeria Limited’s 16-inch Makaraba-Utonana pipeline
On this date, 13th of March in 2009, militants launched an attack on Chevron Nigeria Limited’s 16-inch Makaraba-Utonana pipeline.
According to report, the attack forced Chevron cut its crude oil production by 11,500 barrels per day.
Confirming the incident, Chevron said a militant group in Nigeria has attacked on of its pipelines.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had claimed responsibility for an attack on a Chevron oil pipeline in the Niger Delta.
“There was a breach on the Makaraba-Utonana-Abiteye pipeline and fire at its Makaraba Jacket 5 facility in Delta State,” Reuters reported Chevron spokesman, Scott Walker, as saying.
MEND bombed a Chevron piepline in May that led to a loos of output of 10,000 barrels of oil per day, but on this occasion the company said the infrastructure was unaffected.
“Our workforce is safe, relevant stakeholders have been informed and we are continuing to assess the situation,” Walker added.
It is believed that attacks by militant groups has caused Nigeria’s oil production to fall by 20% in the last three years.
Gunmen killed six in Irewole, Osun
On this date, 13th of March in 2021, gunmen suspected to be bandits killed atleast seven persons in Osun and Ekiti.
Among the victims was a family of six reportedly killed when the gunmen stormed a farming settlement in Wasinmi village, Irewole local government area of Osun State, while the other was a passenger hit by stray bullets, as the gunmen fired at a moving commercial vehicle in Ekiti State.
Policemen, men of the Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, and Hunters Group of Nigeria were said to have been deployed in the bush in the area to fish out the killers.
Confirming the Osun attack, yesterday, in Osogbo, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode, who spoke through his Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Yemisi Opalola, said the incident happened late Saturday night.
Nigerian troops killed “scores” (estimated at forty) of Boko Haram militants and lost four soldiers in Kukawa, Borno
On this date, 13th of March in 2021, Nigerian soldiers engaged Boko Haram militants in a fierce battle which lasted for atleast six hours.
According to report, Nigerian troops killed “scores” (estimated at forty) of Boko Haram militants and lost four soldiers in Kukawa, Borno state.
