FG Planning Regional Force to Deal With Niger Delta Militants

•Navy equips ships with advanced radars

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Federal Government is building a regional and global security alliance against the resurgent Niger Delta militants in the form of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) countries’ Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram in the North-East.

This was disclosed on Thursday by the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, during the media briefing at Naval Headquarters, Abuja, to mark the Nigerian Navy (NN) Diamond Jubilee Celebration

Ibas who was represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Rear Admiral Jacob Ajani, said that tackling the ongoing bombing of the oil facilities and pipelines in the Niger Delta requires a holistic approach and combined force from all the security and intelligence agencies.

To this end, he said, President Muhammadu Buhari is giving political backing to the existing structure within the Gulf of Guinea for the maritime security of the region.

He said: “The bombing of pipelines, some are onshore as we know. So the holistic approach to solving these problem involves Nigeria Navy, but we are also co-operating with sister services and security agencies towards addressing this problem.

“What you cannot take away from the Nigeria Navy is that the issue of piracy at sea, since we mounted this operation has declined tremendously and that gives credence to the fact that ‘Operation Tsare Toku’, so far has been effective and we are still reinvigorating our activities in that area and I am sure in no time, the story we would hear from that aspect will be more of good news.”

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