http://www.voanews.com/english/Africa/2008-09-19-voa31.cfm

By Joe De Capua / Chinedu Offor
Washinhgton / Abuja
19 September 2008

Nigeria's defense chief is accusing some members of the security forces of collaborating with militants in the Niger Delta.

VOA reporter Chinedu Offor is on assignment in Nigeria. From the capital, Abuja, he spoke to English to Africa Service reporter Joe De Capua.

"These accusations were made by none other than the Nigerian chief of defense staff, Air Chief Marshall Paul Dike. He's accusing his men of conniving with militants to attack military personnel, as well as destroy sensitive government operations. He says it amounted to economic sabotage and that it was a shame that the same people who are trained and paid to defend the country are conniving with militants to destroy the country," he says.

The military official points to the nature of attacks by militants as evidence of collaboration. "He says the ease with which militants strike and the daring nature of their attacks suggest they had inside information. And he is saying that these attacks were coordinated, facilitated, in his words, by the leaking of information to these militants," Offor says.

An investigation is underway.



This seems to confirm my worst fears about the ''criminal'' elements in the Delta.

Nigeria is a corrupt country where anything goes. If the soldiers on the ground feel that co-operating with the militant will bring them money why not. After all their boss are very corrupt as well. why should the poor soldier waste his life for a course nobody care about.

bilymuse:

Nigeria is a corrupt country where anything goes. If the soldiers on the ground feel that co-operating with the militant will bring them money why not. After all their boss are very corrupt as well. why should the poor soldier waste his life for a course nobody care about.

That sounds like ''make I helep myself too'' No be so?

anything is possible

Is Dike just finding out or is this another publicity stunt?

I will go for the later, because in nigeria, the only way to draw the support of blind patriotic citizens is to gatther the press once in a while and throw this kind of statement to them. It must not be followed up with an action.

Once beaten, Twice Shy
the Soldiers knew what happen to their colleagues in Liberial and S/Leon
where soldiers were dying in the battle field and their money was been shared in the defence headquater.
if Oga Paul no be runs man, how he take know the deal way dey go on there

Stupid Paul is talking nonsense, he is only trying to find an excuse for the defeat of his Stinking soldiers,
Our Freedom fighters are well trained and well organised fighters, Nigeria Stinking rag tag dirty soldiers are not a match to them.

People need to give the new CDS benefit of the doubt

He was Chief of Air Staff and and while he was the Air Chief he would not want to be drawn into a controversy that involved mainly Army and Navy. Now that he is CDS he now has oversight on the Army, Navy, Airforce as as opposed to when he was CAS.
Hence why he is now free to voice his oppinion.