MILITANT group the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) has dared the Nigerian military to meet them in the creeks if they are serious about a military confrontation as the ongoing volatility in the region increases.
Over recent months, armed conflict has returned to the Niger Delta with the NDA and other groups resuming hostilities by blowing up oil installations. Unlike other groups, however, the NDA has rebuffed government calls to sit down and negotiate and in response, troops have been poured into the region to curb the militancy.
Known as Operation Delta Safe, the government programme to militarise the region has involved using both naval troops and infantry men to patrol the area. However, the NDA has confronted the commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie and the naval operation commanding officer, Commodore Joseph Dzunye, asking them to come to the creeks of the Niger Delta, rather than stay in the cities and arrest sleeper agents, who they brand as NDA members to curry favour from their superiors.
NDA spokesman self-styled Brigadier Mudoch Agbinibo, threw the challenge in a statement rebutting the claim by the NNS Delta commander that two suspects, Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye, arrested by the navy, few days ago, were members of the militant group. He said that the two suspects were agents working in conjunction with security agencies and were paid N5m by two leaders to give the Nigerian military intelligence on the activities of the group.
Brigadier Agbinibo said: “We made it clear that the Nigeria military is using sleepers’ agents to track or checkmate the activities and operation of the Niger Delta Avengers but the more they try, the more they run into crisis with their employed sleeper agents. Stanley Tonghan and Felix Miyenminiye that were arrested and paraded by the Nigeria Navy Delta are few of the sleeper agents working for Nigeria military in conjunction with two leaders.
"The suspects were paid N5m to give Nigeria military intelligence on the activities of the NDA. On failing to deliver, the suspects were arrested and tagged NDA members, what a shame?"
He added that the navy commanding office NNS Delta, Warri's commander Commodore Joseph Dzunve is trying to impress his boss in Abuja, by arresting sleeper agents recruited by his predecessor. According to Brigadier Agbinibo, any criminal arrested is now an NDA member.
Comments
Post a Comment