THE Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Ali and Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin, Commander of the Joint Force, (Operation Delta Safe), Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and other top military officers have explained their mission in the Niger Delta.
The above-named military officers said they were in the region to look for peace in a bid to halt the renewed militancy in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta seeing that they can not rule Nigeria by force.
Also forming part of their visit to the region, they said , was to seek support and inspect facilities for the planned move tagged “Operation Crocodile Smile.”
The weekend’s visit of the military chiefs came on the heels of threats by some militants under the auspices of the Adaka Boro Avengers, to secede on August 1, coupled with the frustration of the Federal Government to identify the real people to negotiate with as the main militants group.
The minister, who disclosed that the military was training a special brigade to assist in the region, solicited assistance from the state government, especially in identifying illegal websites used by those he described as elements who seek to destroy the unity of Nigeria.
According to him, efforts are on to incorporate beneficiaries of the Federal Government’s Amnesty programme in the fight against pipeline vandalism.
“We are here to look for peace, but we are also preparing, in case the peace and negotiations are not favourable. We are also, on our own side, making all the arrangement so that there will be peace in the Niger Delta. We cannot rule out force.”
“We are here to look for peace, but we are also preparing, in case the peace and negotiations are not favourable. We are also, on our own side, making all the arrangement so that there will be peace in the Niger Delta. We cannot rule out force.”
Olonishakin said the army was ready to do anything possible to ensure peace returns to the oil-rich region. “The military has a constitutional duty to ensure that there is peace and we are here for peace, and whatever we need to do, we will ensure that.”
Dickson renewed his earlier call for the establishment of special brigades of the Nigerian Army in the state, with a view to curbing criminal acts and contributing to the overall peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
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