Indications emerged on Sunday that the authorities of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, may have issued a shoot-on-sight order to its troops in the Niger Delta.
The Commander of the agency, Brig. Gen. Wuyep Rimtip, gave the indication in an exclusive interview with our correspondent at the 93 Battalion, Effurun, Delta State on Sunday.
Further investigation showed that he might have given the order to shoot militants and illegal oil bunkerers when he visited the military units and strategic oil platforms in the region last week.
A source told our correspondent that the JTF boss sought and secured the nod of Defence Headquarters for the shoot- on -sight order.
Rimtip said, “A soldier is not trained to shoot to maim. So, what do you expect him to do? I should tell him to do what he was not trained to do? What is your own advice?
“If you are in their shoes, what would you do? That your life is being threatened and you sit down without reacting, you will be a dead man. So, whatever answer you provide to that question is as good as my response to it.”
But he urged the militants and the oil thieves to turn a new leaf in their own interests.
He said, “To the youths, I would advise that they should come out of the creeks. They should go to schools and acquire education to be able to compete favourably with every other Nigerian.
“And to the illegal oil bunkerers, I would advise that they find legitimate businesses and there are so many in the Niger Delta. There are so many legitimate businesses they could embark on and they would live decent lives.”
Besides, Rimtip said it was premature to ask for the withdrawal of the troops since a lasting peace was yet to return to the region.
Describing those calling for the withdrawal of soldiers as mischief-makers, he said that the soldiers would only be withdrawn after all the arms and ammunition in the hands of militants had been retrieved from them.
The JTF commander, however, said he could not be categorical on when the troops would be pulled out.
He said, “Definitely, at this time I will say no to withdrawal of troops from the Niger Delta. The military can only leave here after disarmament. If the disarmament has not been concluded, to pull out the military would amount to making a very big mistake because you cannot leave arms in the hands of unlawful people and expect that you will have peace.
“Even if you are having peace at that particular time, you are sitting on a time bomb that can explode any moment. As soon as disarmament has been carried out, the military has no business in the Niger Delta again.”
Rimtip said the JTF under his command would not relent on the war against illegal oil bunkering and other criminal acts in the region.
The artillery officer, who also gave an update of the activities of the command, said that 115 suspected criminals had been handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for prosecution.
He added that the JTF had destroyed 300 illegal refineries established by some “unscrupulous persons” in the creeks of Bayelsa and Delta States.
Findings by our correspondent showed that recent attacks by militants on oil installations and military units in the coastal axis of the region informed the order.
Some military formations in Bayelsa and Delta states were attacked by the militants in search of arms and ammunitions to fortify their camps.
The militants, who invaded the military base of JTF in Bomadi, Delta state, seized the gun boat belonging to security agencies for over 48 hours. A number of military operatives were either killed or maimed by the militants who catched in on the military’s use of engagement which specifies the use of minimum force.
A ship, MV THOR Galazy, conveying gas equipment to Delta Port, Warri, was also hijacked in the creeks of Delta.
The crew were detained for 48 hours. Similarly, the Chanomi creeks pipeline which conveys crude oil to Warri and Port Harcourt refineries as well as the Abiteye/Escravos Pipeline operated by Chevron were recently vandalised in Delta state.