- Parade 7 suspects for conveying Illegal Arms
The Joint Task Force in the South-South says its operatives arrested six hundred and ninety-nine suspects in connection to various crimes in the region in Twenty-Twenty-Two.
Commander of the special security outfit codenamed ‘Operation Delta Safe’, Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan made this known at its operational headquarters at Igbogene, Yenagoa while briefing Journalists on its activities and achievements for the outgoing year.
Our Correspondent reports that Rear Admiral Hassan also said over one thousand eight hundred illegal oil refining sites and thirty-seven militants/sea robbery camps were destroyed in the joint operation areas cutting across twelve States just as seven suspects with links to illegal arms were paraded.
The Commander of Operation Delta Safe said the Joint Task Force in the South-South conducted several operations in the outgoing year to ensure safe and peaceful operation of the oil and gas industry in the Niger Delta region as well as safeguard the people of the area.
According to Rear Admiral Aminu Hassan, these include protection of oil and gas facilities, anti-crude oil theft operations, clearance of militants and sea pirates’ camps and non-kinetic conflict resolution.
He said in the process, over fifty-three billion Naira was saved in terms of cost from crude oil, diesel, kerosene and petrol with 699 suspects arrested, 37 militants and sea robbers camp destroyed, 90 assorted illegal weapons and large calibre of ammunitions recovered with 1883 illegal oil refining sites dismantled.
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While appreciating the support from the Federal Government, the Defence Headquarters, Service Chiefs, other security agencies and stakeholders including the Media for the successes recorded, he stated that the Joint Task Force resolved about 188 disputes involving multinational oil companies and host communities through the Civil-Military relations and mediation efforts.
Meanwhile, Hassan paraded seven suspects along the waterways for allegedly concealing weapons in wooden boats conveying other cargoes.
The Commander had met with the leadership of the Maritime Union, National Union of Road Transport Workers, Road Transport Employers Association and Timber Dealers Association urging them to be vigilant and report such illicit activities to the Joint security task force.
Chairman of the Bayelsa Maritime Union, Mr Ogoniba Ipigansi in an interview with newsmen gave an assurance that the unions would cooperate with the security outfit.
Items recovered were arms and ammunition including AK 47 rifles, bullets, cash, mobile phones and Automated Teller Machine(ATM) Cards.
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