The Minister of Defence, retired General Mansur Dan-Alli, has said that the government of Nigeria is not at war with the Niger Delta militants but is trying to stop criminality in many legitimate ways.
“We are not saying that we are going to war; we are doing internal security work and internal security work is not war, and so you cannot start claiming collateral damage.
“We know our rules of engagement; we cannot use forces like that without any mandate. So, collateral damage does not come in here. As far as I am concerned, we are just trying to stop criminality in this general area.”
General Dan-Alli who spoke when he paid a courtesy visit on Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha Jonah, at the Government House in Yenagoa, said: “we are also on our own side, making all the necessary security arrangements so that there will be peace in the Niger Delta.”
The defence minister was in the Government House in company of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonishakin and the Commander, Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie.
Dan-Alli said his visit to Bayelsa State with the CDS was to see what was on the ground and the operational capability of the armed forces within the zone, saying: “one of the cardinal objectives that brought us here is to look for peace. But we are also preparing in case the peace and negotiations are not favourable.
This was even as General Olonishakin said that the military has a constitutional duty to ensure that there is peace. He advised those who are destroying the country’s critical infrastructure to put on their thinking cap and come to the negotiation table.
“We have allowed truce to ensure that whoever that wants to come to talk can be given the opportunity, then while giving the opportunity, we also ensure that our troops are in position to make sure that the truce is well implemented.
“However, we want to tell those who are sabotaging the critical infrastructure that they have to put on their reasoning cap and ensure that they come to the negotiation table and discuss.
“We in the military will enforce and ensure that critical infrastructures are protected and ensure that anyone found sabotaging the economy is properly dealt with and we will also ensure that those who are being involved in all the criminality are brought to book.”
The deputy governor called for the establishment of special brigades of the Nigerian Army in the state, to curb criminal acts and contribute to the overall peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
Jonah said that the creation of two battalions as earlier approved before his retirement from the military would not only assist in securing the nation’s critical assets in the state, but also reduce response time in the event of any security challenge.
He lauded the Federal Government’s security outfit in the Niger Delta, Operation Delta Safe, for its initiative to involve communities in intelligence gathering towards stemming security challenges in the region.
Describing the initiative as thoughtful, Jonah pointed out that no security arrangement in the area would succeed without the effective collaboration of the people, given the peculiar terrain of the region.
The deputy governor expressed gratitude to the Minister of Defence and his entourage for the visit, even as he reaffirmed the state government’s commitment towards partnering with security agencies to achieve enduring peace.
He made it clear that the Seriake Dickson administration would not renege on its stance on zero tolerance for crime and criminality as it is in the best interest of the state to provide a peaceful environment to attract investments. [myad]
