The military has warned in earnest, militants groups in the Niger Delta region to desist from further attacks on oil installations and to as well stop threatening residents living around oil pipelines, as no particular group has the right to ask people to vacate their homes.
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Usman, a Colonel, said the suspected militant was trailed, and arrested by troops along Agbor-Abraka road, Edo State on Tuesday 6th September 2016.
“[We] arrested a suspected kingpin of the Niger Delta Avengers, Isaac Romeo [.] in their terrorists camp”, the army said in a statement on their website.
The suspected militant leader was apprehended in Calabar, capital of Cross River state, along with two more suspected members of the insurgency, Lawson Samson and Iyang Ekp, the military said.
“The arrest followed painstaking efforts and tracking of the militant”, army spokesman Sani Usman said in the statement. The Armed Forces would not tolerate any form of criminality in that region.
This is as the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai explained that the Operation Crocodile Smile was introduced to train army personnel on the techniques of operating in the Niger Delta. Tukur Buratai, flagged off the exercise in Sapele, Delta State.
“We are in Warri to flag off this exercise in order to get our troops prepared for any eventuality”.
“So, we as a government, community leaders, corporate executives particularly the oil majors that are operating here and the Federal Government, its agencies and the friends of our country should work together to resolve the challenges of the Niger Delta. The Nigerian Army has amphibious capabilities in conjunction with the Nigerian Navy to carry out limited operations within the creeks”.
The operation so far has received the support of government and different opinion leaders.
The military and other security agencies wish to therefore re-affirm their total commitment to ensure security of lives and property, not only in the Niger Delta, but throughout the federation.
Governor Wike made the declaration when he granted audience to the Army chief and other senior army officers at Government House, Port Harcourt.
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He said the “US government was ready to partner with Nigeria and Bayelsa state in the area of funding development and economic prosperity, through a variety of programmes, including agriculture, health, education and maritime security, without losing focus on transparency and fiscal responsibility”. I was fully briefed by the Brigade Commander and we associate ourselves with the programme because it will make the Niger Delta safer.
