Nigerian SoldiersSeveral military commanders and base heads in the Niger Delta have made it categorically clear that they will not negotiate the unity of Nigeria and that it will remain an indivisible entity.
This was the outcome of a meeting which the commanders and military heads, held on Tuesday in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, to review the new strategic direction of Operation Delta Safe (ODS).
Tuesday’s meeting, which lasted several hours at the Joint Task Force Headquarters in Igbogene, was in apparent response to recent pronouncements by militant groups in the region that they had concluded plans to create an independent republic.
It was learnt that part of the agenda of the interactive session which drew sector heads from Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Ondo, was to forge a common front against the violent agitators who have been destroying critical oil and gas infrastructure in the region.
The JTF Commander, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, who spoke to newsmen on behalf of his colleagues, maintained that every Nigerian has the right to move around anywhere in the country without fear of molestation.
He explained the deployment of heavily armed security operatives to the region, saying that the military has the duty to maintain peace in the area. He assured all residents of the readiness of the military to quell any threat to security in the area.
“All I want to say is that the federal republic of Nigeria belongs to all of us. The armed forces can move anywhere at any time. ODS covers the whole of Niger Delta maritime area.
“So, if you see heavy presence in a village or town, it’s just our routine patrol we are carrying out. It is just the presence, and we have the right to be present there. At least nobody has complained of molestation.
“It’s also about the information passed round recently about some faceless individuals creating certain republics for themselves. This will not be allowed to happen.” [myad]
