JTF warns community leaders over attacks on oil. gas facilities

chika ebuzor

January 18, 2016 6:35 AM

Okunlola, who led other security personnel to the explosion site, also warned that henceforth, extant laws banning the use of outboard engines with 200 horsepower and above would be enforced in the region.

The Joint Taskforce (JTF), Operation PULO SHIELD (OPS) has warned that community leaders would henceforth be held responsible for any attack on the country’s oil and gas facilities in their domains.

The JTF Commander, Maj.-Gen. Alani Okunlola, gave the warning on Sunday while inspecting the site of Friday’s pipeline explosion site at Egwa 11, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta.

"This warning is coming as a result of the recent multiple attacks on oil facilities and platforms by suspected militants in the Niger Delta,’’ he said.

The JTF commander, who described the acts as economic sabotage, assured that the command would apprehend the perpetrators.

He, therefore, advised them to desist from further destruction of the nation’s oil and gas facilities.

He called on government officials and community leaders to furnished OPS and other security agencies with information that would facilitate the arrest of the perpetrators of the attacks.

He said that the acts were criminal in nature and were capable of undermining the security of the country.

"There is no way we will fold our hands and allow the criminals to get away with it.

"It is a massive sabotage and critical to national assets; we must fish out those responsible for it.

"We don’t have our men on ground in the area that is why they were able to carry out the act,’’ he said.

He assured Niger Delta residents of JTF’s determination to eliminate illegality from the region.

The Brigade Commander, Brig.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya and the Commander, 3 Battalion, Igwe Omoke were on the team that visited the explosion site.

Others are Commander, Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Raimi Mohammed and other top ranking personnel from the Police and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps.

chika ebuzor