FG withdraws troops from Niger Delta communities

· Niger Delta Avengers’ leader, others arrested

 

The Federal Government has ordered the immediate withdraw­al of troops from the occupied Niger Delta commu­nities.

The move is apparently to pave the way for dialogue with the militants.

The decision was taken on Tuesday at a meeting called by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, with the gover­nors of the oil-producing states and the Security Chiefs.

Osinbajo had on Monday disclosed that the Federal Gov­ernment was intensifying its di­alogue with the Niger Delta el­ders to end the attacks on oil installations by the militants.

The Minister of State for Pe­troleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, on the same day, said that a committee had been setup to dialogue with the militants.

The parley at the State House came on the day the militants had set aside to begin their threats to bomb prominent public structures in Abuja, Lagos and others.

The meeting was attended by Governors Ifeanyi Okowa (Del­ta), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Udom Emma­nuel (Akwa Ibom), Segun Mim­iko (Ondo), Nyesom Wike (Riv­ers), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), and the deputy governor of Cross River State.

There were also Dr Ibe Ka­chikwu; the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin and the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Navy and Air Force, who briefed the governors and Osinbajo on the on­going military operations against the militants.

Speaking to State House cor­respondents after the closed-door meeting, Governor Okowa confirmed that the government had agreed to scale down mili­tary operations in the Niger Del­ta but maintained that security in the creeks and waterways will be sustained.

Commending the synergy be­tween the federal and state govern­ments, especially as the governors had their own perspectives on the matter, Okowa said the collabora­tion would help tackle the chal­lenges in the Niger Delta.

According to him, “We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states, particularly Bayelsa and Delta. We believe we are going to find a solution to it.

“One of such is that there is a need for us to share intelligence which is very important and for us to be proactive, working togeth­er with the various stakeholders in the states to achieve a better result.

“We have also agreed that there is a need to distil military operations directly in communi­ties, but the military needs to ac­tually remain on our waterways to ensure that we adequately man the waterways while we engage the communities and that engagement process is starting any moment from now,” he said.

Asked if the impending stop­page of the Niger Delta amnesty programme was discussed, the governor said: “I don’t think am­nesty has been put to a stop.

“I think the process is still on­going; we have a Special Adviser for Amnesty and it is doing very well. I am aware that he did come in to talk with some of the com­munities, along with the advoca­cy team that was put up in Delta State. He did brief us today.”

Governor Oshiomhole con­firmed Okowa’s disclosure that military operations were to be scaled down, but that it did not amount to the humiliation of the Federal Government.

His words: “This is a govern­ment elected by the people to gov­ern the people, for the good of the people. You can’t govern the peo­ple without talking to them. It is common sense. That does not mean humiliation. You must en­gage your people.

What Okowa said was the cor­rect representation of what tran­spired at the meeting. Nigeria is not at war and we cannot be at war with ourselves.”

Niger Delta Avengers’ leader, others arrested

 Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has declared the arrest of a top leader of the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), who allegedly coordinated the multiple attacks on Chevron and NNPC’s oil and gas facilities across the Niger Delta.

Also, one Michael John, who was arrested by the Navy, has con­fessed to several killings along the waterways, including the murder of three soldiers at Jones Creek about three months ago and an­other killing of a soldier and a po­liceman.

The Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Riami Mohammed, disclosed this when he paraded the suspects at the Naval Base, Warri on Tuesday.

Mohammed said the suspect (name withheld) was linked with coordinating all the recent militant attacks on vital oil facilities, includ­ing the attack on Chevron Okan valve platform offshore Escravos in the Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said that his men also ar­rested another militant leader who was among those that blew up Shells’ 48-inch crude pipeline in Forcados last week.

The faces of the two militant leaders were covered for security reasons.

Aside attacking oil facilities, the coordinating militant was also alleged to be illegally operat­ing about 35 abandoned oil well heads and crude oil pipelines in Okpoko, Obodo and other creeks in Warri South West Local Gov­ernment Area.

He said: “Today, I’m pleased to announce that after several weeks of persistent efforts, the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with other security agencies, has arrested the main coordinator of attacks on the NNPC and Chevron oil and gas facilities that we have witnessed since 4 May, 2016, with the attack on Chevron Okan Valve platform offshore Escravos.

Delta’s ex-commissioner denies sponsoring militants

Also yesterday, former Com­missioner for Environment in Delta State, Chief Frank Omare, has denied sponsoring the NDA, which currently blows up oil in­stallations in the Delta region.

Omare’s denial was prompt­ed by an online report that he was one of the sponsors of the NDA and the communal crisis between his community, Ogbe-Ijoh and Al­adja.

In a petition addressed to the Nigerian Police, the former Com­missioner, said: “I wish to state clearly and in unequivocal terms that I do not know any member of the Niger Delta Avengers. I am also not one of the sponsors of the Niger Delta Avengers as I have no reason to do so.

“I also did not hold any meet­ing with members of the Niger Delta Avengers or anybody what­soever in Ogulaha or any oth­er community on how to attack and wipe out Aladja communi­ty,” he said.