Navy Moves to Rescue Abducted Students, Staff of Turkish School

Deploys troops to special operation in Rivers

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt and Chiemelie Ezeobi in Lagos
Following the clarion call for help by the police to the Nigerian military to effect the rescue of the five abducted female students and three members of staff of Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC), Ogun State, the Nigerian Navy (NN) yesterday said it had risen to the challenge.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok Ette-Ibas, made this disclosure at the inauguration of the newly constructed Senior Rates’ Mess, in Apapa, Lagos, when he was hosted by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai.

The CNS was reacting to the plea by the police to lend its expertise in foraging the creeks where the kidnappers have been located.

The police had last Tuesday said they had located the whereabouts of the kidnappers and their victims, but were experiencing difficulties in accessing the place due to the terrain of the creeks.
Ibas in an interview with journalists said although the incident is very unfortunate, the Armed forces, particularly the navy will rise to the rescue.

He said: “The incident that happened is very unfortunate and the armed forces and the navy in particular, have always been very handy to support whenever issues like this occur and we explore whatever options are available.

“The navy has in the past aided the police and its sister services in arresting and containing the menace of kidnappers in that area.
“The commanders (navy) are in these area and I am sure they are in touch with various commissioners of police.
“All efforts are on ground to rescue the girls. It’s our responsibility and we will not shy away from it.”

On the Niger Delta crisis, he said the navy would not down its weapon even as the federal government is still exploring dialogue with the militants.
He said: “For any crisis, there are always many ways it could be resolved. The federal government has stated that it’s open to negotiation.

“But for us in the military, we are taught just one thing- to bring force to bear wherever called upon to achieve our political master’s will. We have been doing that and we will continue to do that.

“We train our men to ensure that when called up, we will do what will ensure peace and unity for the nation.”
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has said it has deployed troops to Rivers State on a special operation code-named, Operation Rivers Sweep.

Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, made the disclosure yesterday while addressing journalists on the sidelines of the inauguration of accommodation quarters for troops in Port Harcourt.

He said the deployment began on January 7 and was aimed at checking the rising activities of illegal bunkers at Onne in Eleme Local Government Area of the state.
According to the FOC, “Operation Rivers Sweep was activated on January 7 with objective to stem the tide on increasing and disturbing reports of illegal bunkering in Onne general area.

“Over some months now, we have discovered that lots of illegal refineries are operating within the area with stealthily and specially designed dug-in canoes moving stolen petroleum products.
“The supply chain starts from the illegal refineries which transport the illegally produced crude oil from dug-in canoes to bigger vessels that moves the product outside Nigeria by sea.

“Operation Rivers Sweep, thus is focused on having a coordinated and well planned operation different from the routine patrols ongoing at our operational bases level.”
Oluwole said the on-going operation would discover and destroy illegal refineries and other maritime crimes in Onne and environs.

The FOC pointed out that the navy’s inability to prosecute suspected oil thieves partly affected the war on illegal oil bunkering.
According to him, the battle against oil thieves was built on a tripartite arrangement which involved surveillance, enforcement and operation.

“However, enforcement does not reside with the navy because there are agencies that are statutorily empowered to do that.
“We have done our job when we hand over investigation to agencies saddled with the responsibility to prosecute suspects,” he explained.
Oluwole assured the nation that the navy would not relent in its bid to rid the Niger Delta of oil thieves and criminality on the nation’s maritime environment.