Nigerian Army Hunts for N/Delta Militants in the Creeks

By Senator Iroegbu

The troops of 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have entered the fourth day in the ongoing “Operation Crocodile Smile”, hunting Niger Delta militants and other armed groups as well as destroying their camps located deep inside the creeks.

The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, who confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday, said that the troops also backed up the operations “with  quite a number of activities that involved continued humanitarian assistance through free medical outreach, show of force, patrols and raids in the creeks”.

Usman said that earlier on Monday,  the troops with the help of Nigerian Navy helicopters, their speed and gunboats, carried out raids on suspected oil bunkerers’ and militants’ camps at Afiagbene, Burutu Local Government Area (LGA) of Delta State, adding that there was no  contact made.

He disclosed that the troops also discovered two generators, a locally made double-barrel gun, a Dane gun, three live cartridges, and two pumping machines.

He listed other items recovered to include  one 32 inches LG television, a Kenwood amplifier and about four 50 litres of liquid suspected to be crude oil at Ayakoromo junction.