Nigeria’s military said Sunday it had taken control of eight camps belonging to a notorious militant leader in southern Rivers State in the latest clampdown on unrest in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
“The Joint Task Force has taken over eight camps formerly owned by Ateke Tom during the stormy days of militancy in the Niger Delta,” military spokesman Timothy Antigha said in a statement.
The militant leader voluntarily surrendered the camps, said JTF Commander Major General Charles Omoregie in the statement.
“Ateke has shown that he is indeed committed to ongoing efforts to achieve sustainable peace in the Niger Delta”, Omoregie said.
The military has staged a series of raids in recent weeks targeting John Togo, the leader of the Niger Delta Liberation Force.
There have been unverified claims of scores of people killed in the operation.