General Gabriel Olonisakin, the Chief of Defence Staff, has sworn that the Nigerian military will not allow any person or group of persons to destroy the nation’s oil facilities. Stressing that the military will pursue the Niger Delta Avengers and stop their unending attacks on the nation’s oil facilities.
Olonisakin said this on Monday in Rivers State, immediately after commissioning 12 refurbished gunboats and a 40-bedspace Brigade Gunboats Company at the Okrika Jetty in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Olonisakin admonish the militants that blowing up oil facilities was not the way to prove their points or grievances, adding that they (militants) were expected to state their complaints appropriately to government.
He added that the government was exploring various approaches to ensure that the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta was resolved.
Olonisakin said,
“An issue of this nature is multi-facet and not just the military approach. The government is exploring all other approaches to ensure that these issues are resolved. Military is looking at ways to resolve the issue of these bombings.
We, the military, have told them (Niger Delta Avengers) that this (attacks on oil installations) is not in the interest of the nation. When you bomb those facilities, those critical infrastructure, you are destroying our assets, our resources, as a nation.
This is not the way to address your grievances. If you have any grievances, you put them appropriately to the government. Of course, we cannot allow people to sabotage and destroy critical infrastructure. We will go after them and ensure that we deal with the situation appropriately.”
He pointed out that the nation was challenged by multi-facetted threats, including the battle with Boko Haram terrorists, oil thefts and attacks on oil installations.
On the commissioning of the gunboats, Olonisakin expressed gratitude to the Niger Delta Development Commission for assisting the military in putting the equipment in order.
“The repair of these gunboats will no doubt improve the capacity of the brigade to meet its responsibility in curtailing criminal acts in our inland waterways.
Let me at this juncture appreciate the support of the Niger Delta Development Commission in making these repairs realizable. We appreciate this strategic partnership and support.”
