NIGERIA: POSSIBLE ATTACK ON LAGOS FUEL JETTY

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 000297 SIPDIS DOE FOR GPERSON, CHAYLOCK E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/13/2019 TAGS: ASEC EPET PGOV NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: POSSIBLE ATTACK ON LAGOS FUEL JETTY Classified By: Consul General Donna M. Blair for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D ) ¶1. (C) At approximately 2245 on July 12 a large explosion at the Atlas Cove fuel jetty located at the entrance to Lagos port rocked the city of Lagos. Atlas Cove is located on Snake Island along the channel that leads from the Atlantic Ocean to the port of Lagos; it is not directly connected by bridge to the residential and commercial districts of Victoria Island and Ikoyi where CONGEN Lagos personnel live and work. The closest consulate housing is located on Victoria Island approximately one mile further up the channel from Atlas Cove. Residents in consulate housing on Victoria Island and Ikoyi heard the explosion, but were unable to ascertain the cause. There was no damage to consulate housing or injuries to consulate personnel. In a statement filled with quotes from the President's Ghana speech, spokesman for the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND),Jomo Gbomo said the explosion was caused by a "militant" attack on the fuel depot. Reports from petroleum industry and security contacts are sketchy, but the contacts all say that the explosion was not an accident. Two RSO and Pol/Econ contacts report they understand that "militants" approached the jetty by speedboat and attacked a pipeline leading to the jetty. One contact says three Nigerian Navy sailors were killed in the explosion. A Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) contact reports that NNPC chief Mohammed Barkindo is flying from Abuja to Lagos this morning to assess the situation. ¶2. (C) Comment: Atlas Cove is a main importation terminal for refined petroleum products to Nigeria. No word on the extent of the damage or its impact on Nigeria's supply of refined petroleum products. As far as we know, this is the first such attack on a facility in Lagos by persons claiming to be MEND "militants". Post is convening an EAC to review the situation. End Comment. BLAIR