The Nigerian military has launched an operation to root out militants in the oil-rich region. Director of Army Public Relations, Sani Usman, said in a statement on Saturday, August 27, that the military campaign was “a precursor operation” to a planned offensive against the militants, code-named operation “Crocodile Smile”.
This is coming, despite promises by the President Muhammadu Buhari led federal government that it would employ dialogue, as an option, in dealing with the resurgent militancy in the Niger Delta.
The Nigerian Army had been amassing troops, arms and ammunitions for “Crocodile Smile”, which it said was in support of the wider “Operation Delta Safe” being conducted to protect the oil infrastructure in the nine oil producing states.
Usman added that, “The 133 Special Forces Battalion of Nigerian Army troops have carried out a precursor operation to Exercise ‘Crocodile Smile’ aimed at getting rid of all forms of criminal activities in the Niger Delta geopolitical region of Nigeria.” He said in the course of the operation, “five militants that attacked the troops were killed in action, while numerous others were injured and 23 suspects were arrested”.
The army spokesman said the military operation, conducted on Friday, was carried out by the Special Forces at the militants camps. He listed items recovered from the camps to include two AK-47 rifles, 11 Pump Action Guns, a locally made revolver pistol, 292 cartridges of live Ammunition, 199 rounds of AK-47 rifle Ammunition, four electricity generating sets, and a camp gas cooker. The troops also recovered an abandoned engine boat left by the fleeing militants, he said.
There was intense apprehension along the waterways of the Niger Delta at the weekend following the announcement by the army spokesman that the military was amassing as part of a broader “logistics build-up” in the Niger Delta.
“The military training exercise embarked upon by the Nigerian Army to train its Special Forces, formations and units located in the South-south geo-political zone of the country has commenced in earnest,” Usman had stated.
It was gathered that the Sapele waterways in Delta State were used as springboard for the troop deployment to the creeks of the region.
However, in a quick reaction, president of Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, condemned the decision of the federal government to use strong-arm methods against the groups, which had been attacking oil facilities in the region.
Eradiri, accused the government of insincerity in its pledge to peacefully resolve the emergent armed agitations, saying the use of force may jeopardise efforts by leaders of the people to resolve the crisis.
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