Mkpoikana Udoma 27 April 2016, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt – The Joint Military Taskforce operating in the Niger Delta region, operation Pulo Shield, has warned that anybody or group masquerading as militants are criminals and will be crushed in line with the mandate of the Joint TaskForce in the region.
The JTF restated that the Federal Government granted amnesty to repentant militants which automatically ends militancy and agitation in the region, therefore any group or persons by whatever guise will be treated like common criminals.
A statement by the spokesperson of the JTF, Col. Isa Ado, said the warning is imperative owing to a recent report in a national newspaper, indicating that pipeline vandals had vowed further attack.
According to the JTF, the publication had a group with the name: ‘The Niger Delta Avengers’ who allegedly claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on pipelines in the Niger Delta and vowed to carry out more attacks on oil pipelines.
“The group, according to the report also said it carried out attack on SPDC’s underwater pipeline in February this year and the Egwa 1 attack in Delta State.”
The Operation Pulo Shield which is saddled with the mandate of protecting Nigerian Oil pipelines and preventing other oil related crimes, in the statement reiterated its resolve to crackdown on vandals and economic saboteurs and also ensure the arrest of perpetrators and accomplices for prosecution.
It said the Force had carried out aggressive patrols and surveillances within the waterways and the creeks which had led to the arrest of suspects, arms and ammunition, illegal oil bunkering vessels and barges which are at various stages of prosecution in Nigerian courts of competent jurisdiction.