Military Demands Drastic Action In Niger Delta

The military has demanded �drastic action� in the Niger Delta to prevent the conflict from escalating into an uncontrollable agitation for self rule.

Defence chiefs on Tuesday briefed the House of Representatives Committee on Defence through the Director of Operations, Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal, Femi Gbadebo.

They alleged that some foreign countries that want Nigeria to break up support the militants alongside some Niger Deltans and their sympathisers in the Diaspora.

According to Gbadebo, one Abel Ebifowei (alias T.O.), a former transport officer in the government of impeached Bayelsa State Governor, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, provides political influence for the militants.

Activities of the militants, he stated, have gone beyond mere bunkering as they are making several demands and as such there should be increased military action.

His words: �We are no longer facing one group, we are now facing so many factions. The most problematic is that the violent crisis may snowball into a full blown agitation for self determination and independence. In that case, it is necessary the government takes both political and drastic military action to stop the drift.

�Before now, a former governor in the Niger Delta used to put these militants on the state�s pay roll, but because they do not have access to that kind of money again, they reverted to bunkering on a very large and dangerous scale.

�As far as we are concerned, it is not just military option, it also requires a socio-political direction, yet there is need for increased military action, as we will not like a situation where our military will be painted negatively. We are not exactly taking on the rebels or militants, we are using discretion�.

Gbadebo told the lawmakers that the recent activities of the insurgents � who are mainly Ijaw speaking youths of Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Ondo states � could make the entire Niger Delta a recruiting ground for mutineers just as there is a likely remote involvement of mercenaries in the struggle.

On the threat by the rebels to blow up a major flow station, Gbadebo said that could be the most dangerous thing to do.

It is worrisome that the people do not know the meaning of such action, he warned. �If you blow up a flow station in Bonny, the entire place will cease to exist. It could take more than six months to quench the fire�.

He added, though, that the military still suffers from the arms embargo imposed on the country some time ago, whereas the militants get their weapons from different sources.

However, Commander of the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Brigadier-Gen. Elias Zamani, has ruled out military action in the plan to secure the release of the three remaining hostages.

He spoke on Tuesday on the implications of the use of force just as he denied that he has been arrested.

Rumour had spread that Zamani was arrested by the authorities over reports that the government may use force to secure the release of the captives.

�Arrested by who? Why, and for what?�, he wondered.

He said negotiation has shown that the hostages would be released soon through dialogue.

�Where we are now on the issue of the three remaining hostages no longer requires force; therefore my command is not contemplating one, especially when the first batch of hostages was not released through force�.

He disclosed that the rebels are co-operating with the negotiating team and stressed that the false story of a pending military action against them could cause panic in the communities where the hostages are being held.

�In such situation there could be a mass exodus of people in these communities and this may lead to so many negative things that may endanger the lives of the three expatriate oil workers. We would not want such a thing to happen�.

Meanwhile, Wilbros Offshore Nigeria, employers of the hostages, has signified its intention to close down operation in the Shell Western Division following the continued incarceration of the three workers.

Wilbros, a pipeline construction and maintenance contracting firm in charge of Shell�s Focardos terminal projects, has told its sub-contractors to withdraw their equipment from the Western Division comprising Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo states.

One of the contractors whose barges were hired by Wilbros said over 10,000 Nigerian workers will be affected by the evacuation.

Shell External Affairs Manager, Harriman Oyofo, stated that it will take the company a long time to assess locations destroyed in the crisis before work could resume.

He named the affected areas as Beneside, Ogbotobo, Odidi, Focardos, among others, and said he is not surprised by the directive Wilbros gave to its workers since �it would be foolish for any of our contractors to retain men and equipment without doing any job�.

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