The Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Worldwide has expressed concern over the recent massive deployment of security operatives to the Niger Delta. They called for intelligence gathering as against all out confrontational approach to Niger Delta issues
The IYC described the current development as “ineffective” pointing out that the presence of the military and other security agents have not done much in curbing the incidence of oil theft, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the area, rather the situation worsens by the day.
The IYC, in a statement issued on Thursday, February 18 by its spokesman, Eric Omare stated that they had always insisted that in some cases, security agents, contractors and even oil company workers were complicit in the illegalities going on in the region. He said: “The Federal Government cannot claim ignorance of these facts with the security apparatus at its disposal. “Instead of sending more troops who would come and commit more inconveniences to the people of the region such as intimidation, harassment of innocent villagers and unnecessary arrests, we call for quality intelligence gathering on the role of oil companies’ workers, contractors and security agents on the attacks on oil facilities.” The spokesman said the people and communities of the oil-rich region must be fully engaged in the fight against crime if solution to the problem of attacks on oil facilities must be reached. He maintained that sending all the soldiers in the country to the area will only add to the disheartening problems of the region. Meanwhile, in a bid to stop the increasing protests by the pro-Biafra groups, the Nigerian army has said it is planning to relocate troops to Aba. According to Brigadier General Lawrence Fejokwu, commanding officer of 14 Brigade Ohafia, Aba has become a hot spot because of the activities of the Biafrans campaigning for the actualization of a sovereign state of Biafra, as well as the revival of kidnapping and sundry crimes.
