Ootraged at the increasing threat that militants in the Niger Delta posed to the economy, the Nigerian Military declared war on them yesterday.

The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin, the service chiefs from the Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Nigerian Army (NA), Vice Adm. Ibok Ette-Ibas and Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, respectively, made the declaration of war at different military functions in Lagos.

The CDS, who was the guest of honour at the navy’s 60th diamond anniversary in Lagos, said the military would continue its onslaught against militants’ activities in the Niger Delta region and insurgency in the Northeast.

But about a fortnight after it was inaugurated by the Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa to move into the creeks and halt the increasing spate of pipeline bombings through advocacy, the Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, headed by the Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro, has warned that the military option would not solve the problem but instead would compound it.

The committee also urged former militant leaders, Chief Government Ekpemukpolo and Chief Ayiri Emami to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign.

Ayiri had accused Tompolo of being behind the bombing of critical pipelines in Gbaramatu Kingdom linking him to the Niger Delta Avengers but Tompolo fired back denying any link with the Avengers and urged government to investigate those lobbying to repair damaged pipelines.

Olonisakin who spoke at the end of the two-day maritime conference organised by the navy to mark its anniversary, said the military had stepped up its fight against the militants in the Niger Delta because of the recent attacks on the nation’s infrastructure.

He warned those involved in the attacks on oil facilities to desist from any act of sabotage or would be made to face the wrath of the law when arrested.

Olonisakin, while reviewing the role of the military in recent times said the navy had performed creditably in securing the nation’s territorial waters in its 60 years of existence.

Also speaking at the conference, the CNS, Vice Admiral Ibas, said the navy had been able to reduce robbery and piracy on the nation’s waterways, adding that they were expanding the technical aspect of their surveillance to ensure that they curtail the menace.

Addressing the issue of militancy, he said: “We are doing the very best we can to get them even before they venture out into the creeks.

“We have made some inroads by ensuring that we are at least out there at sea when you consider that we have over 3000 creeks, rivers and actuaries and the navy has over the last 10 years been building its capacity to operate in the backwaters.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has also procured six communication vehicles for the prosecution of the war against insurgency in the Northeast. The army yesterday inaugurated six-sophisticated communication vehicles procured by its Signal Corps, for onward deployment in the northeast to help in the prosecution of war against insurgency.

The Delta State Advocacy Committee Against Oil Facility Vandalism, which met with several Ijaw and Itsekiri traditional rulers including the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Ikenwoli and the Pere of Gbaramatu Kingdom, His Highness Oboro Gbaraun II, told the communities that the continued bombing of critical oil facilities was inimical to the national and state economies.

“With the increased spate of oil facility bombings leading to drop in production quantum, it is doubtful if the expectations of the budget can be fulfilled,” the deputy governor said.

In their separate comments, the committee members and others equally noted the anger in the communities that may have been partly caused by government and oil companies neglect resulting in underdevelopment.

There was agreement too, that military invasion would not help resolve the issue.

And worried about the renewed militancy, Bayelsa State Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday in Yenagoa, called for concerted efforts to check it, describing the perpetrators as criminals and economic saboteurs. Already, the attacks on the nation’s oil facilities have reduced oil production to an all-time low.

Dickson, who met with representatives of International Oil Companies, (IOCS) and security chiefs to proffer solutions to the recent upsurge in criminal activities in region, decried the killings of security personnel, innocent citizens and the vandalism of oil installations by the Niger Delta Avengers.

Reiterating his administration’s commitment to the protection of lives and property, the governor said that the recent development was affecting the socio-economic growth of not only the state, but the entire region. “The way forward is for all stakeholders to discuss the issues and the need for the Federal Government to tread with caution and not adopt a military approach as a means to solving the problem.

No one person can protect the assets in the remote areas of the region. I, therefore, call on those involved in this act of criminality and brigandage to stop forthwith.”

Also speaking the State Deputy Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukah, noted that the meeting had resolved to engage various communities in the region in a dialogue in order to put an end to the recent upsurge in criminal activities.

Representative of the NNPC/Chevron Joint Venture, Monday Ovuedu, Group Executive Director, Media, Government and Public Affairs, Mr. Sola Omole and Head of Legal Services, Conoil Plc, Michael Madugbe agreed that oil companies operating in the region would collaborate with the government at sustaining peace in the region.

They pointed out that, the sustained engagement strategy, with sincerity of purpose and for all the stakeholders to work together for the collective interest of all was what the parley was all about.

Militants had in the last couple of weeks, stepped up attacks on petroleum products pipeline across the Niger Delta, with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, declaring that the bombings had reduced Nigeria’s crude oil export by 800,000 barrels per day, from about 2.2 million barrels to 1.4 million barrels per day.

http://m.guardian.ng/news/military-vows-to-crush-ndelta-militants/

One thing in which I like these Niger delta avengers or any other rebel faction is that they don't come out to the public to say trash like "we will bomb this place" or we are going to"

It is a matter of the present tense, it is happening already, they are bombing, they are killing, they are vandalizing, right now.



So I don't see any fvcking good reason why this slow poke of a CDS will come out to the public to say. "We are going to crush" or we will arrest"


Nonsense


We don't want to hear all these hogwash statements, we wish to hear, Nigerian army has caught, has paraded, has arrested, has killed, has done this and that.


Somebody should just make me the Chief of defense staff and I shall teach this mudafvckers dat I don't give a hoot about the law. My aim is to fish u out by any fvcking means

Cutehector:
One thing in which I like these Niger delta avengers or any other rebel faction is that they don't come out to the public to say trash like "we will bomb this place" or we are going to"

It is a matter of the present tense, it is happening already, they are bombing, they are killing, they are vandalizing, right now.



So I don't see any fvcking good reason why this slow poke of a CDS will come out to the public to say. "We are going to crush" or we will arrest"


Nonsense


We don't want to hear all these hogwash statements, we wish to hear, Nigerian army has caught, has paraded, has arrested, has killed, has done this and that.


Somebody should just make me the Chief of defense staff and I shall teach this mudafvckers dat I don't give a hoot about the law. My aim is to fish u out by any fvcking means

Go and enlist urself n d military, thts a start

saintmark88:


Go and enlist urself n d military, thts a start

oh of course, I plan to. Leme just get done with my MSc.

I just hope they won't go and crush innocent citizens and tag them Militants

And another

good luck

Talk is cheap... the economy is bleeding... Some ultimatum expires today

Who still takes these guys serious, they should continue blowing hot air while the Avengers destroy us. Buhari should secretly send emisaries to go & beg them if he is ashamed or grant resource control & let oil producing states pay tax to FG, atleast half bread is better than chin-chin. Oil price is going up at our own expense while Nigerians are starving.

Yes, after your peaceful consultation with their leaders, you have the green light to roll out the drums of war.


RIP in advance to those who will die.


Shalom!

Qhat next?

Talk talk talk.

nda be like

Nigerians we are not.....
We just learned how to use our.....

IF BUHARI IS SO FOOLISH HE SHOULD TAKE MILITARY ACTION, THERE IS 85PERCENT TENDENCY THIS WILL GENERATE CIVIL WAR (WITH THE WAY IPOB SUPPORTS NIGER DELTA)

just covering......

CHANNELStv2020:
G

For God

*yimu*

This people are different from. Boko Haram, they are destroying things that contributed mainly to the economy. Vowing to crush them is no solution, let the government come their level and let them tell FG what they want.... Making unreasonable vowing won't simply solve it, they will just keep bombing, go back to their cave and the economy will keep crippling.

CHANNELStv2020:
IF BUHARI IS SO FOOLISH HE SHOULD TAKE MILITARY ACTION, THERE IS 85PERCENT TENDENCY THIS WILL GENERATE CIVIL WAR (WITH THE WAY IPOB SUPPORTS NIGER DELTA)

On Nairaland only.

The dumbest reaction to criticism of a government or its policy is being asked to proffer a solution to problems highlighted. When they say your house is on fire, you know what to do!

The critic highlights shortcomings to get the government's think-tank, constitutionally allowed to be engaged, ticking. You don't ask the man who alerts you to fire, to quench it for you.

If, after being shown the flaws in your idea or decision, you still expect more insight from the critic, there are two things involved: you are either irredeemably incompetent or your subordinates are similarly unimaginative.

The porcupine and the lion.



There is only one animal in the jungle that adult lions fear= The porcupine.. The Porcupine is a spiked Animal with spikes capable of piecing even the heart of any animal. Lions thread softly anytime they see a Porcupine because an attempt on a Porcupine would most likely result in the loss of life of the Lion

My advise to Buhari is simple. Wisdom is profitable to direct. There is no need to make threats that you can't execute and would only end up leaving us loosing more oil production. Because if these guys want to shut the oil out completely, they would do it and there would be no money to even pay the soldiers a salary. Buhari's statements are causing Nigerians enormous pain and he should speak with wisdom.

The Niger Delta Militants are like Porcupines in the jungle. Treat with wisdom.


Watch this video of Lions & a Porcupine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=NG&v=_r2rDBVFAv4&hl=en-GB

Cutehector:
oh of course, I plan to. Leme just get done with my MSc.

Your MSc is useless to the Nigerian Armed force. If you really want to deal with the mutherfvckers, enter with your WAEC

Let the spineless military bring it on. We can't wait. Our only regret is that they will begin to harass and torture the innocent civilians of the ND, but hey you guys better watch it because the NDA ain't joking.

purpleblood:


Your MSc is useless to the Nigerian Armed force. If you really want to deal with the mutherfvckers, enter with your WAEC

Forget that goat, he is a keypad warrior. When you see core brownies one thing they all got in common is the ability to win wars on nairaland

Dem nor dey use force kill fly wen perch for brok*s.

I dont think this constant threat of force and crushing really helps anyone.

One thing I have come to realise is that talk is cheap ..absolutely cheap


NA could not win bunch of illiterate Islamist on a dry land in a sparse vegetation in sambisa ..what I keep wondering is how they can win some group of educated people that has caused devastating damages with military precision ...also in a marshland and creeks ....this is a swampy region and I know they are bragging ...

This is my own .....Nigerian army should not underestimate swamp regions ...American lost Vietnam in swamp region


They should ask

Na today?

They should better keep quiet.

Cutehector:
oh of course, I plan to. Leme just get done with my MSc.

Yoruba man ..WAEC will do
Did buhari even produce that before enlistment

;DBundesligas!
dem go soon dey recruit young chaps now for national sacrifice.
crush Randi guarana dr pepper gold spot limca
where are they now? ;DBundesligas!
dem go soon dey recruit young chaps now for national sacrifice.
crush Randi guarana dr pepper gold spot limca
where are they now?