Following the recent resurgence of
militancy in the creeks in Lagos and Ogun States, the military at the
weekend said it was set to take them on, having taken to kidnapping as a
means of sustenance.
The Operation Awatse Task Force had in
the past three months invaded the creeks of Arepo, Ishawo, Awawa and
several other creeks, dislodging pipeline vandals.
With their means of livelihood cut
off, the dislodged group bid its time for the heat to die down before
they went back to the same creeks, but this time took to kidnapping.
On a visit to the creeks over the
weekend, the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear
Admiral Ferguson Bobai, said although the security forces were aware
that the militants had returned, they were set to take them on.
He said: “We are aware that the
militants are returning and we are ready to take them on. Very soon,
petroleum products would be pumped from Atlas Cove to Mosimi.
“That would pose a new challenge for us
because when we embarked on this operation, at that time petroleum
products were not being pumped and some of them who were out of business
started kidnapping.
“We are going to come in massively to
ensure these miscreants are kept at bay. We are aware that some of the
gas stations patronise these vandals and we have recommended to the
government that the appropriate agency should deal with those filling
stations.”
Speaking on the jerry cans recovered
from the creeks that he inspected, Bobai said as of last week Friday,
53,000 kegs of 50 litres were recovered from creeks around Ishawo.
He said it was made possible by the
Lagos State Government through the Lagos State Emergency Management
Agency (LASEMA) because it provided swamp buggies to clear the creeks to
enable LASEMA pull out the jerry cans.
He said: “As you saw when we got here,
there were about three or four waves of jerry cans coming in under the
protection of the army, navy and other security forces.
“There are a lot of jerry cans all over
the place. Aside the jerry cans, we arrested so many of the miscreants
and handed them over to the DSS.
“You can see the line up of jerry cans
here. If you begin to talk about 53,000 kegs by 50 litres by 145 by the
20 years they have been thriving in the business, that’s a lot of money.
“So we have done our own and would
continue to do our best. What we have recommended is that the
appropriate agency should go after these filling stations.”
On the role of the community, he said
LASEMA was already partnering with the locals, given that the militants
had subdued the community before the military intervention.
He said: “A lot of people ran out of
here because the community was harassed. It was only after our
operations that people started coming back.
“As a military officer, I was instructed
by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin to remove the
shanties and dislodge the miscreants, which we have done and handed
over to LASEMA.
“Honestly, LASEMA has not been asleep in
the last two months. With the swamp buggies provided by the governor,
they have been working here day and night to mop up the jerry cans and
other items the vandals left here. We are just supporting LASEMA to
ensure that they clean up the area.”
LASEMA General Manager, Adeniyi Tiamiyu,
also said: “We would dispose of the jerry cans for recycling. It would
be dangerous and unethical to burn them around here.
“So we have been given the mandate to
take them out of here, which is what we would do. We would sell them to
recycling companies. The jerry cans are empty.
“We are moving them out. Our concern is to bring out all the remnants of their equipment inside the creeks.
“I have gone into the creeks for three
hours and I have observed that there are quite a lot of jerry cans still
scattered across the place, all stringed together. So we have an
assignment to do and we have to do it.
“We do not completely know the terrain,
so we engage the locals. Quite a lot of them are inside the creeks and
everyday they bring out kegs and we puncture them.
“As a government, we would ensure the
vandals don’t return. I am sure the military won’t leave this place
until they are sure the vandals don’t return.”
Meanwhile, plans are underway to erect
bridges, as the community has requested a link bridge to the
Lagos-Ibadan expressway and for the state to open up the waterways to
marine activities.
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