…Vows to protect oil assets in Niger delta
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that it was not aware of communities in the North that seek peace deals with terrorists/bandits for protection.
The Director Defence Media Operations Maj.- Gen Markus Kangye said this on Thursday while fielding questions at a press briefing at the DHQ, on Thursday.
Media reports revealed that some North West communities are allegedly brokering peace agreements with terrorists and bandits to safeguard against violent attack.
But Maj.-Gen. Kangye said: “to the best of our knowledge, we have never had any peace deal with bandits as mentioned. Why do communities want to do that? I don’t think they wanted to accept approval from the military to do so. And the military, I don’t think, is aware of that.
“The military is conducting its operations according to the rules of the engagement . So if any community calls for a mandate for peace with terrorists, the military does not support that. We don’t support that.”
On the recent incidents of explosions on some crude oil pipelines in Rivers state, he said the Armed Forces of Nigeria will not fold its arms and allow any individual or group of individuals to destroy the country’s critical national assets.
Kangye said the military had been in the forefront of protecting the nation’s oil installations in the Niger Delta, adding that the commanding officers were focused on achieving the mandate.
“The field commanders are aware of all that is happening in the field. So whatever has happened, they will interrogate it and come up with their findings.
“It would be prejudicial for me to tell you this is the outcome of their findings, while they have not formulated their findings.
“I want to tell you that there is no doubt the military will not hold their hands and allow some of our critical infrastructures to be destroyed by criminals. “That is why they are there, to protect those critical infrastructures,” he said.