Sufuyan Ojeifo, Segun James, Ahamefula Ogbu and Omon-Julius Onabu
9 July 2009
Lagos — Two suspected militants were yesterday arrested by operatives of the Joint military Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta at Forcados in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State, while trying to blow up crude pipelines with explosives.
They are now cooling their feet in the JTF cell at the Gen. David Ejoor Army Barracks, Effurun, near Warri.
The arrest is coming just as the Movement for the Emanci-pation of the Niger Delta (MEND) yesterday said it attacked oil pipelines operated by Shell and Agip, a unit of Italy's Eni.
According to the JTF spokes-man, Col. Rabe Abubakar, "The miscreants were caught while trying to plant explosives on pipelines along Forcados Waterways in Delta State."
He said the equipment recovered from the suspected militants included "a speedboat, two electrical batteries, chemicals and dynamite."
"This is a clear indication that they intended to sabotage the pipelines; considering the equipment recovered from them, and coupled with the fact that there were similar attacks in the area from the militants in recent times, which made the JTF to intensify its patrol of the waterways," the spokesman said.
He gave the names of the arrested suspects as Mr. Omole Sedimigho (44), and Mr. Reuben Gbotonye (36), both from Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State.
On the attack on Shell and Agip, MEND in an emailed statement by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said the Agip Brass Terminal line was attacked from the Nembe creek, while the Shell Nembe creek line was attacked at Asawo village both in Bayelsa State.
Despite MEND's claim, the JTF insisted that the attacks on the trunk lines were thwarted by their men and the militias escaped without detonating their explosives.
According to MEND's statement, "The plague of sabotage descended heavily on major Shell and Agip crude trunk lines in Bayelsa State at about 0200 and 0230 Hrs today, Wednesday, July 8, 2009. The Agip pipeline which connects the Agip Brass terminal was sabotaged at Nembe Creek, while the Shell Nembe Creek line was done at Asawo village, all in Bayelsa State".
But the JTF spokesman, Abubakar, said the alleged attack was only an attempt by the militants to blow an Agip Well 9 at Tebidaba and it was foiled by the JTF soldiers following a tip-off from the villagers.
The militants, according to Abubakar, fled the scene of the planned attack leaving the explosives strapped to the oil well head.
"Efforts are on by the company to get explosive experts to help diffuse it. We wish to state that it is out of context MEND's assertion that it has blown up the pipeline in the area. It is yet another gimmick to claim cheap glory and also to continually portray the region as volatile because they are feeding on this crises, even though, it will soon come to pass."
Meanwhile, the Senate has summoned the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Sarki Muktar (rtd); Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mike Okiro; Internal Affairs Minister, Maj. Gen. Godwin Abbe (rtd.); and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Afakriya Gadzama, to brief it on measures being put in place to curb the growing incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking in the country.
But the Upper House has not fixed a date for their appearance nor has it indicated whether the security chiefs would be grilled in Committee of the Whole or in closed session.
But given the likely security implications of their jobs and precedents in the Senate, they are more likely to offer their explanations in closed session.
It also urged the state governments, who have not done so, to quickly enact law providing stiff penalties for kidnapping and related crimes.
The resolutions by the Upper House was sequel to a motion jointly sponsored by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe and four others.
In the motion, entitled: "The Surging Incidents of Kidnapping and Hostage taking in Nigeria," the senators noted with deep concern the surging incidents of kidnapping and hostage taking of Nigerians and foreign nationals resident in Nigeria as well as those who visit Nigeria for the first time.
They also noted that "since the year 2005, kidnapping and abduction have become a daily occurrence in Nigeria; spreading first from the South-south, through the South-east and have now enveloped the entire country; up to the fringes of the Sahara Desert."
They further noted the damages caused to the nation's image on several levels, stressing that "on the international level, the news of the kidnap of hundreds of foreigners, mostly oil workers affects the country's image negatively".
"The country is now perceived as being insecure and the flow of foreign investment is consequently on the decline.
They lamented that the incidents of kidnapping and hostage taking have contributed to the nation's dwindling oil output, thereby destabilizing and distorting the national budget.
According to them, the national malaise had continued to increase rather than abate, stressing, "From what was, in 2005, isolated acts of Niger Delta activists taking hostage for ransom has grown into a national industry of shame and pain.
"In the South-east, victims of commercially motivated kidnappings include traditional rulers, high profile businessmen, politicians, children and relations of wealthy persons.
"Even parts of Nigeria that were assumed to be immune to the contagion of kidnapping for ransoms have recorded cases of kidnap of Nigerians and recently of a visiting Rotarian from Canada," they said.
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pls,were the people arrested true militants as the jtf claim which towns are they from in warri south west LGA? and if the militants are blowing up oil installations could they really say they are fighting for or against the niger delta region?for the oil spill affects us the commons