The Federal Government on Saturday threatened to adopt tough measures to confront the Niger Delta militants.
The government warned the militants not to interpret its peaceful posture as a sign of weakness, adding that it had the capacity and capability to restore sanity in the restive region.
To this end, government said it was not ready to tolerate the criminal antics of the militants any longer, adding that it might be compelled to direct full military onslaught against them.
The Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Mike Onolememen, made this known in a chat with newsmen at the end of his maiden visit to the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Restore Hope, and oil multinationals in Delta State.
He said, �The Federal Government of Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian armed forces have the capacity and capability to police our waterways and defend the territorial integrity of the nation.
�I don�t want to see my brother in the Niger Delta being crushed under the military might of the Nigerian armed forces. I don�t want a situation whereby the government will be forced to review its rule of engagement in the region, by that I mean the rule of engagement to our military and the Joint Task Force, because if we do that, it is going to be unfortunate.�
The minister, who was briefed on the security situation in the region by the Commander of JTF, Brig.- Gen. Alfred Ilogho, Commanding officer, NNS Delta, Warri Naval Base, Navy Capt. Mufutau Ajibade, Commanding Officer, 93 Battalion, Effurun, Col. Adamu Jalingo, asked the militants to turn a new leaf in their own interests.
�We have deliberately decided to engage in dialogue and constructive engagement as far as the Niger Delta youth restiveness is concerned and we are doing that because we are conscious of the fact that the youths we are talking about are our brothers and sisters from the Niger Delta. I for one, as a Minister of State, Defence, I don�t want my brothers crushed under the military might, that is why we are appealing to them to chart the course of peace, let them engage in constructive dialogue.�
Onolememen, who also visited the Warri offices of Shell Petroleum Development Company and Chevron Nigeria Limited, in company with the service commanders, said government would not continue to watch the militants exhibit criminal behaviours.
Although the minister acknowledged that the people of the region had genuine misgivings, he added that what was happening in the region had left the level of agitation to share criminality.
Consequently, Onolememen, who later held a closed door meeting with Ilogho, Ajibade and Jalingo as well as other top officials of JTF, urged the militants to direct their energies into productive and creative ventures.
He told the managements of SPDC and CNL to help in improving conditions of their host communities, adding that the inhabitants of the oil producing communities were living below subsistence level.
Onolememen said the prevailing restiveness in the region, especially hostage- taking, required a multilateral approach by all stakeholders, adding that, �The governments have their role to play, the multinationals have their role to play and of course, the host communities have their role to play.�