A clash is likely between the Nigerian
military and Niger Delta militants who have returned to their old ways
of bombing oil facilities following the deployment of soldiers to oil
pipelines nationwide.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on
Saturday that the operation to take over the pipelines from the
militants and vandals was being jointly undertaken by the Army, the Air
Force and the Navy, as well as other security agencies.
It was learnt that the military would
deploy all equipment at its disposal, including aircraft, drones and
some special pipeline monitoring facilities to protect oil installations
nationwide.
Bombings of oil pipelines resumed in the
Niger Delta, particularly Delta State, following a court in order that a
militant leader in the area, Government Ekpemupolo, aka Tompolo, be
arrested for failing to appear in court over a N34bn fraud allegation.
Tompolo had, in a letter to President
Muhammadu Buhari last week, denied the allegation, urging security
agencies to focus their search for pipeline vandals on the leaders of
the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa and Delta states.
Before the bombing of oil installations
in the Niger Delta, vandals had been destroying pipelines at Arepo, Ogun
State and some parts of Lagos State.
Buhari, while speaking at Abu Dhabi in
the United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday, had vowed to deal with the
resurgence of oil theft, vandalism of pipelines and insecurity in the
Niger Delta.
Although the security source, who spoke to SUNDAY PUNCH
on condition of anonymity, did not disclose the number of military
personnel that were being deployed nationwide, he said the security
agents had already taken over the protection of oil pipelines.
The Director of Defence Information,
Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, in an interview with one of our correspondents,
confirmed that the military had taken over protection of oil pipelines
nationwide.
He said, “They have taken over
protection all over Nigeria. It is just modalities that need to be
concluded but with this kind of thing, I believe we have enough
deployment to oversee all the pipelines in the nation and we will
continue to do that.”
“One person or some groups — criminal
groups — cannot hold this nation to ransom. Nobody can hold this nation
to ransom and will be living, no!
“All security agencies are in top gear
to ensure that these people, whoever is involved, will be brought to
book and whoever thinks that we cannot do it should try to continue
doing it and let’s see who will pay the price at the end of the day.”
When asked the type of equipment that
would be used by the military, he said the military would deploy
high-tech modern security networks to protect the pipelines from attacks
by vandals and saboteurs.
Abubakar restated the determination of
the military and other security agencies to track down those behind the
last attack on the pipelines in Warri South West Local Government Area
of Delta State, last week.
The Defence spokesman had said the government launched Operation AWATSE to ensure the protection of the pipelines.
Investigations revealed that troops of
the task force had been deployed to various communities in the Niger
Delta in search of suspected vandals.
Confirming the deployment, the Joint
Task Force in the Niger Delta, also known as Operation Pulo Shield, said
on Saturday that its troops had taken over the waterways, creeks and
pipelines in the oil-rich region.
The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre of Operation Pulo Shield, Col. Ado Isa, disclosed this while speaking with SUNDAY PUNCH in a telephone interview.
Isa said the troops had intensified
patrol on the waterways and the creeks with a view to protecting further
attack on the nation’s oil facilities.
He explained that athough the troops had
been working round the clock in line with its mandate to secure the
Niger Delta region, they had redoubled their efforts following the
recent bombing of oil installations in a part of the region.
According to him, the Commander of
Operation Pulo Shield, Maj.-Gen. Alani Okunlola, has directed sector
commanders under him to ensure that those behind the recent attack on
oil installations were brought to book
He said, “The Operation Pulo Shield is
pursuing its mandate, one of which is securing the nation’s oil
installations and fighting criminality with renewed vigour.
“It is not only manning or patrolling
the waterways, we have dominated the entire creeks and the water
channels of the Niger Delta and not only within the areas that the
explosions occurred.
“You can see that all their (militants)
boasting that they are going to continue with their bombings will not be
possible again because the Operation Pulo Shield, in conjunction with
other security agencies within the Niger Delta region, has intensified
and heightened patrol.”
Isa pointed out that with the domination
of the creeks, waterways and pipelines dominated by the troops, there
would be no space for the militants to operate again.
“As I speak now, all the waterways,
pipelines, creeks and channels have been dominated by men of the
Operation Pulo Shield, in conjunction with other security agents,” he
added.
SOURCE'; PUNCHNEWS
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