As part of efforts by the Federal Government to check the spate of renewed attacks on oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region, the Nigerian Army has arrested 10 suspected members of the militant group, Niger Delta Avengers.
The suspects were said to have been arrested at about 1:40am on Saturday in Oporaza community, Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, following a search conducted in the community.
Some oil installations in the region have been vandalised by militants suspected to be members of the Niger Delta Avengers, threatening the production and supply of oil and gas in the country.
The Commander of the 4 Brigade, Brigadier-General Farouk Yahaya, who paraded the suspects on Sunday in Benin, the Edo State capital, said there had been cases of sabotage by suspected militants and vandals in Delta State since January 1, 2016 and threats “to shut down all operations” in the sector.
He noted that several items were recovered from the arrested suspects.
They include 28 detonator cords (also known Detonator 33), one pistol, two pistols, 196 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, one round of nine-millimetre ammunition, a live cartridge and five daggers.
Also recovered were 15 handheld radio sets, 18 phones, 203 SIM cards belonging to three major network providers, five swimsuits, two headlamps, a laptop, two ipads and a camera.
Others are seven wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp, five speedboat throttle cables, six pairs of hand gloves, the sum of N23,000 cash and a cheque book.
He said that although investigation would reveal the true identity of the suspects, recent explosions carried out by the Niger Delta Avengers suggested that the arrested suspects might not be unconnected to the group.
He added, “Within the period under review, you can see that the Niger Delta Avengers have claimed virtually all acts of criminal activities against oil and gas and they continue threatening a shutdown of the whole sector. So, most likely, they (suspects) will be the people, who else would they be?
On the speculation that the militants might have adopted the use of charms to evade arrest, Yahaya said, “Whatever a person wants to use, he can use it. But I know that God is always on the side of the truth.
“We are not worried by voodoo. It did not stop the suspects from being arrested and others that have been arrested before now.”
“Operations that led to these arrests and recoveries were conducted professionally, guided by our mandate, operation orders, code of conduct and rules of engagement. Our operations are strictly targeted against perpetrators of all criminal acts in our area of responsibility and not innocent citizens,” he added.
The brigade commander, who noted that the suspects would be handed over to prosecuting security agencies at the end of preliminary investigation called on the general public to provide the Army with relevant information on militant groups to assist it to combat criminal elements in the interest of the country.
