The MEND asked to halt the activities of oil extraction in the area of the delta "until further notice" and called the population to resist. According to some reports, the MEND has destroyed two important oil pipelines forcing a reduction of the extraction and storage of crude oil.

According to some information, the Armed Forces attacked wide civilian areas with choppers and boats with canons. Currently, there are 30,000 civilians displaced without adequate food orwater, and aid organizations are not allowed to enter the region. On Monday, the activists stated they would block the most important waterways of the NIger Delta to prevent crude oil exports. For many years, these groups have been demanding a fair distribution of oil wealth among the local communities of the impoverished region.

State owned company Nigerian National Petroleum Corp. is associated to big oil companies such as <shell and Chevron in the Niger Delta. Next week, Shell will stand trial in New York due to its alleged participation in the state execution of Nigerian writer and activist Ken Saro Wiwa, and eight other activists in 1995.
The situation in Nigeria caused the price of crude oil to rise, reaching 60 dollars per barrel.

Asari Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, stated that their movement will continue with the sabotages and resistance to extractive industries "by any means necessary". "If they bring peace, we will hold onto peace. If they bring war, we will hold onto war, because they cannot be shooting us, and we cannot just be raising our hand and falling and dying. No, we are going to put up a fight."stated Dokubo to the US news agency Democracy Now!

Local human rights groups state the use of choppers and boats has caused a "massive evacuation" of the population and they request the moderation of the security forces. They have also requested both sides to allow access of aid agencies for the people displaced.

The situation has caused a reduction in the produciton of oil, to less than two thirds of their capacity of 3 million barrels a day, which is limiting foreign incomes and is exerting an additional pressure on the governmental finances.