From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
THE Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin, has issued a stern warning to crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals and militants in the Niger Delta to desist from criminal acts or be crushed.
Olonisakin, who paid an operational visit to Yenagoa over the weekend in company of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas and top military officers, disclosed that the military has identified 10 security threats in the Niger Delta region.
He said, in line with the directive of President Mohammadu Buhari, there is zero tolerance for crude oil thieves, pipeline vandals, militants, cultists, sea-pirates, kidnappers in the Niger Delta region.
Olonisakin, who visited the Naval House boat in Akassa, Brass local government area, commended Buhari for his commitment to support the military in the discharge of its duties.
He disclosed that the Navy, which recently effected some changes in its operational command, is being equipped to perform optimally in the region.
Olonisakin said, “The issue here is that we have a lot of security threats in this area; they are 10 to be precise, and we have identified all these areas from illegal oil bunkering to oil theft, pipeline vandalism, kidnapping, cultism and all the other oil and gas related criminalities. We have looked into that and are ensuring that these issues are properly addressed and we have zero tolerance to militancy and other oil and gas criminalities in the region. That is what we have been trying to do and we will achieve it”