ABUJA, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Militants in Nigeria have claimed responsibility for the bombing of a state-run oil facility in the country's Delta State early Thursday.
The facility, an oil delivery line located in Ughelli area of the southeastern state, was operated by the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, a subsidiary of the Nigerian oil corporation.
In a statement, the Niger Delta Greenland Justice Mandate, a militant group in the oil-rich region, said it carried out the dastardly act to prove its "ownership of the land".
Nigerian authorities are yet to comment on the latest attack.
Armed youths launched a wave of attacks at the start of the year to demand a greater share of oil revenues for the swampy region, which produces most of Nigeria's crude but whose residents are mired in poverty.
Efforts have been made by the government to engage the Niger Delta stakeholders to find a way out of the ugly situation.
The Nigerian government said the country started to experience recession due to oil and gas vandals in the Niger Delta region.
Nigeria's oil production has reduced from 2.2 million barrels per day to barely 1 million barrels per day.
