Militants Cross-Fire As Amaechi Sacks 4 DPOS

Oil Bunkering: JTF, Militants Cross-Fire As Amaechi Sacks 4 DPOS

THE Joint Military Task Force (JTF), a special security outfit saddled with the responsibility of ensuring uninterrupted economic activities in the Niger Delta, Nigeria's main oil and gas basin, is currently locked in a cross-fire with some unrepentant militants over alleged illegal oil bunkering activities.

News report by AkanimoReports says in Bayelsa State, militants are pressing for the Sector Commander of the JTF, Victor Ezugwu, an Army Colonel, to be investigated over his alleged involvement in oil bunkering.

But the special security outfit has dismissed the accusation saying there are some elements who are not comfortable with the Army chief's anti-oil bunkering war.

Spokesperson for the JTF, Mr. Timothy Antigha, an Army Lt. Col, told our correspondent on telephone that the militants were blowing bad air. According to him, ''the allegation against the officer is not true. That particular officer has put in over 20 years in service. He is deeply involved in anti-bunkering activities. It appears some unpatriotic elements are out to smear him''.

The JTF spoke as the Rivers State Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi last week directed the state Commissioner of Police to redeploy all the four Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Ogoniland as part of measures to stop the illegal oil bunkering activities going on in the area.

The governor's directive as at Tuesday, was yet to be carried out by the police. Spokesperson for the police, Mrs. Rita Inoma-Abbey, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) told our correspondent that the command has to carry out an investigation before acting.

According to her, ''all i can say for now is that the matter is being looked into''.

Amaechi however, gave the order while addressing a stakeholders meeting of Ogoni people in Government House, Port Harcourt. He claimed that since the consensus opinion of the Ogoni indicated that the security men in the area, including the Police, aid the illegal bunkering activities, it would be proper to redeploy the DPOs in the area to other postings.

The governor also constituted a 44 member Surveillance Team, with 10 persons drawn from each of the four local government areas of Ogoniland, in addition to the Council Chairmen as automatic members, and charged them with the duty of patrolling the area in collaboration with the Police and JTF to fish out all illegal bunkerers.

The Committee which has the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Mr Oji Ngofa as its head, is charged with the responsibility of identifying those involved in illegal bunkering activities in the area and assist in apprehending them.

“We have to stamp out illegal bunkering from Ogoniland, so that the local economy can grow again”, Governor Amaechi said, and urged the surveillance team to patrol the areas daily until illegal bunkering activities are stamped out in Ogoniland.

He advised them to work hard to achieve Peace and Security in the Ogoni axis of the state, and called on the people of the area to cooperate with the committee to provide a conducive atmosphere for businesses to thrive.

The state Commander of the JTForce, Mr.Mutiu Yekini, an Army Colonel, said the special security outfit has zero tolerance for any act of indiscipline among its members and any officer found to be conniving with those engaged in illegal oil bunkering would be dealt with severely.

Apparently not persuaded, a militant group, the Network of Niger Delta Freedom Fighters (NFF), claimed in a statement the previous Tuesday that they want the Defence Minister and the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) to constitute a panel to probe their allegation.

Some military operatives within the JTF sector command said the allegation was unsettling the command.

This is the second time a militant group is accusing the JTF top brass of being involved in oil bunkering. Last June, the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC), an insurgent network that comprises some units of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the Refomed Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (R-NDPVF) and others in an on-line statement by their Spokesperson, Cynthia Whyte, accused JTF commanders of engaging in illegal oil bunkering.

The JRC pleaded with the authorities to investigate the source of the wealth of the JTF commanders. It seems the allegation was ignored by Abuja.

Not comfortable with how the JRC allegation was treated, Co-ordinator of the NFF, Mr. Nengi James, on Tuesday said, ''we are urgently calling on the Chief of Defence Staff and the Minister of Defence to constitute a panel to investigate the involvement of Colonel Victor Ezugwu, the Sector Commander of JTF in Bayelsa state for his alleged engagement in oil bunkering activities''.

The Army Colonel is also alleged to be having two dredgers operating within the Brass rivers.

According to the insurgent group, ''The Eagle Eye of Bayelsa state first made the accusation against the JTF chief on February 25, 2010. For us, this is like the case of the military officers who were involved in the African Pride bunkering saga''.

Insisting, they said, ''we want the relevant authorities to address this matter with a view to bringing the culprits and perpetrators to book, and also ruled out the purported involvement of innocent Niger Delta youths in such activities''.

Continuing, the militants said, ''we are worried that military officers posted to the oil region to maintain peace and security are involved in refined and crude oil theft.'' ENDS

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