Nov 13 (Reuters) - Nigeria's military warned on Saturday it would take action against armed gangs in the creeks of the oil-producing Niger Delta after a spate of recent kidnappings and other criminal acts.

Seven expatriate workers were kidnapped from an oil rig off the Niger Delta almost a week ago, while the home of President Goodluck Jonathan's main adviser on the region was attacked with explosives late on Thursday. [ID:nLDE6AB0L5] [ID:nLDE6AB0RL]

"We have observed with concern some criminal acts within the past few days by some people claiming to be militants , Many of these criminals are known to be hiding in camps within the creeks of the Niger Delta," Chief of Defence Staff Oluseyi Petinrin said in a statement.

"These camps will no longer be tolerated. To avoid any collateral damage, we are seizing this opportunity to instruct all law-abiding citizens who live around the vicinity of these camps to leave immediately," the statement said.

Any major offensive by the armed forces would be the first in the Niger Delta since an amnesty programme brokered by Jonathan began in August 2009. (For more Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: af.reuters.com/ ) (Reporting by Camillus Eboh; Writing by Nick Tattersall)

jason12345:

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blesyn014:

Finally doing what ought to have been done before now, see no reason why some group of people will be holding this country to ransom,

ABUJA — The Nigerian military on Saturday warned armed gangs in oil-rich Niger Delta saying that it would not tolerate their criminal acts, including kidnappping and brigandage, and would clear out their camps.
"We have observed with concern some criminal acts within the past few days, by some people claiming to be militants," chief of defence staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petirin, said in a statement.
"We are all aware of the kidnappings, illegal boarding of oil rigs and other acts of brigandage that have been committed by these criminals, These people are criminals and will be treated as such," he said.
He said that many of these militants hide in camps in the Niger Delta creeks, adding that these camps "will no longer be tolerated."
Petirin warned all law abiding citizens who live around the camps to leave "immediately. Enough is enough".
"All effort will be made to assist those who may need to relocate temporarily until the clearing of these den of common criminals have been concluded," he also said.
The military have in the past weeks located and destroyed tens of militant camps.
A statement purporting to be from Nigeria's main militant group MEND on Friday named seven foreign hostages it said were taken in an offshore attack this week in southern Akwa Ibom State.
The statement also said the militants decided to release three French oil workers and a Thai national seized in September "owing to their generally poor state of health."
The seven foreign workers -- two Americans, two French, two Indonesians and one Canadian -- were captured when gunmen attacked a rig and support vessel off Nigeria on Monday.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has carried out scores of attacks in the region in recent years.
It also claimed responsibility for twin car bombings on independence day October 1 that killed at least 12 people, the first such attack in the capital Abuja.
The group claims to be fighting on behalf of local people in the deeply impoverished Niger Delta, but it has also been seen as an umbrella organisation for criminal gangs.

Petirin warned all law abiding
citizens who live around the
camps to leave "immediately.
Enough is enough".
"All effort will be made to assist
those who may need to relocate
temporarily until the clearing of
these den of common criminals
have been concluded," he also
said.

Ileke-IdI:

For one minute there, I thought we were talking about his Wife.
I was soo ecstatic!

Ileke-IdI:

For one minute there, I thought we were talking about his Wife.
I was soo ecstatic!

Ileke-IdI:

For one minute there, I thought we were talking about his Wife.
I was soo ecstatic!

Mai Suya:

This is inspite of the billions being spent on the amnesty programme. . .

excanny:

Who no like free money?

The amnesty was a spending jamboree. Now, boys are broke. They need more. lol

Petinrin warned civilians to leave so soldiers and the navy could "avoid any collateral damage."

"I want to repeat that these people are criminals and will be treated as such," he said. "Many of these criminals are known to be hiding in camps within the creeks of Niger Delta. These camps will no longer be tolerated."

Mai Suya:

This is inspite of the billions being spent on the amnesty programme. . .

  [size=18pt]JTF raids MEND camp, arrests five[/size]

From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Sunday, November 14, 2010


•Militants
Photo: Sun News Publishing
More Stories on This Section

Against the background of renewed violent activities in Bayelsa State, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has begun raiding camps believed to belong to the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) in the state and has arrested five militants.

The military action is in furtherance of the Federal Government order to the military to clamp down on acts of terrorism and resurgence of militancy in the region.

One of the new camps is reportedly located in Foropa community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state and controlled by one Keiti Sese, known in the creeks as Commander Nomukeme.
Recently, Nonukeme raised an alarm that the JTF was patrolling Foropa, alleging that he was the target because of the desperation of some ex-militant leaders to eliminate him so that they can continue the illegal oil bunkering business in the area.

In a statement issued and signed by the JTF Commander, Major General Charles Omoregie, the military action commenced in the first week of November and the camp was raided on November 8. Checks indicated that the JTF was stiffly resisted at the camp with exchange of gunfire that last about 10 minutes.

Two militants were however arrested while sophisticated weapons, a 3D seismic programme map used in monitoring routes of oil pipelines in the area and a list with over 36 registered members of the group recovered.
Among the items recovered at the camp were Identification cards of five militants believed to have embraced the amnesty programme. The names on the Identification cards include one Jacob Pere with amnesty card number BY/B3/910/09, Mary Yelaye with card number BY/B1/2090/09, Gbedi Sese (BY/B1/2080/09), Flower Shedrack (BY/B1/2089/09) and Sese Clement (BY/B1/209/09).

Omoriege said the military took the action following incessant complaints from the people of Foropa over the activities of Nomukeme and his gang. The JTF statement reads in part: “Keiti Sese alias Commander Nomukeme “mad man” had indeed become a thorn in the flesh of the Foropa and neighbouring communities
“Between May and October this year, the JTF received five petitions calling for the intervention of the force to check the criminal activities of Keiti Sese and his gang. The criminal activities listed by the petitioners include sea piracy, kidnapping, despoil, pipeline vandalism and illegal oil bunkering.
“The JTF also wishes to disclose that there are ex-militants, who after accepting the amnesty and benefiting from the goodwill of the Federal Government, have returned into criminality thus violating the amnesty deal. They have been advised to retrace their steps or face the full weight of the law.

“In the light of this development and the re-emerging threat of militancy, the JTF wishes to reiterate that the presidential amnesty ended a year ago. Therefore, people who continue to bear arms illegally and masquerade as militants or emerging militants do it at their risk. It must be stressed that lack of development can no longer be given as excuse for irresponsible behaviours, criminal and treasonable acts in the region.”


 

Nsiman:

Emmmm! What about boko haram? Gej shld look for a better way to handle this because he is still from here, he shldn't treat this guys hard because after him those 'cow rearers' called north will even handle them (militants) and even law abiding citizens of the nd harder and say gej their brother showed us how to.

SapeleGuy:

Violence has not and will not be the answer. Bullets from JTF, XYZ or any other task force can not solve this problem.

Rapid Development, True federalism and destroying the cankerworm of corruption by dealing with Halliburton, Siemens, Power Project probe investigations in an honest and transparent manner will restore confidence.

SapeleGuy:

Violence has not and will not be the answer. Bullets from JTF, XYZ or any other task force can not solve this problem.

Rapid Development, True federalism and destroying the cankerworm of corruption by dealing with Halliburton, Siemens, Power Project probe investigations in an honest and transparent manner will restore confidence.

SapeleGuy:

Violence has not and will not be the answer. Bullets from JTF, XYZ or any other task force can not solve this problem.

Rapid Development, True federalism and destroying the cankerworm of corruption by dealing with Halliburton, Siemens, Power Project probe investigations in an honest and transparent manner will restore confidence.

mikeansy:

All of that will not be achieved in an enviroment where thugs and thieves are allowed to run the show.

It is not impossible to achieve everything you have above and yet crush the criminals.

They have been treated with [size=14pt]kidsglove [/size] enough!!!!

mikeansy:

All of that will not be achieved in an enviroment where thugs and thieves are allowed to run the show.

It is not impossible to achieve everything you have above and yet crush the criminals.

They have been treated with kidsglove enough!!!!