There appears to have been an escalation of the Niger Delta crisis  as MEND reportedly claimed to have carried out the attacks on the Atlas Cove in Lagos, the commercial capital  of Nigeria..At least 5 people were believed to have been killed in the attacks on oil pipelines in Lagos.Naval authorities confirmed the killing of three men during the attacks which came as a shock to many.

In fact , Mr Barkindo,Group MD of NNPC swiftly assured that the corporation had adequate stock of Petroleum products.He urged Nigerians not to embark on panic buying in the aftermath of the attacks on Lagos pipelines.Atlas Cove is responsible for about 30% of supply of petroleum products for domestic use.

The attacks on Lagos came hours before Henry Okah regained freedom in Jos ,North Central Nigeria.Okah who had been under trial for alleged gun -running was freed in the aftermath of the ongoing amnesty which the President Umaru Musa YarAdua regime has extended to all militants in the Niger Delta.Okah accepted the amnesty and Michael Aondoakaa appeared at the Court in Jos to discontinue  Okah's trial.

Okah who was ushered into the court premises  walked out as a free man afterwards.Happy as he seemed about his freedom, Femi Falana  who is Okah's lawyer faulted the manner of freedom. Falana said there is no provision for amnesty in the constitution.The President only has constitutional right to pardon people.In essence, the lawyer seemed to have argued that the steps taken by government were   unconstitutional .But everyone recognises that what Yar'Adua has done is a political gesture.Falana prefers a complete discharge and acquittal of his client.

Signs that Yar'Adua's  amnesty gesture may not have gone far enough in solving the hydr-aheaded problem of militancy  emerged with the extension of attacks on oil pipelines to Lagos.This is clearly a major source of worry for all.