Ask criminals to repent or vacate the region

The new Commander of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Real Admiral Akinjide Akinrinade said the JTF under his command would show no mercy to oil thieves, pirates and other criminals in the Niger Delta region.

Speaking when he took over from the outgoing commander of JTF, Rear Admiral Suleiman Apochi, at the JTF headquarters in Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Akinrinade, asked criminals to repent or vacate the region.

He commended Apochi for his leadership style  and promised to be proactive in curbing criminals and their networks

As part of the strategies, he vowed to strengthen the synergy and cohesion among the various units, components and formations of the task force.

In his remarks, Apochi said the operation under his command destroyed and dislodged major militant camps in the Niger Delta, to boost security in the region.

He said the relative peace witnessed in the region has increased crude oil production index of the country, which rose from a mere 900 barrel per day in 2016 to over two million barrel per day.

In his words  “When I came here in 2016, there were issues of militancy all over my joint operation area, but diligently, we have taken out the major militant camps in the Niger Delta region. We have dislodged militant camps at Karawei in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa. The Bakassi strike force in Cross River, Lobia 1, 2 and 3 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area and Lowasiri camps in Bayelsa were strong bases of militants and kidnappers”.

“We have also dislodged militants in Etim Ekpo/Ukanafun Local Government Areas of Akwa Ibom and restored peace to the areas. The Asuzuama set of militants in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Baylesa were all dislodged.

“We tracked down Don Wayne eventually, because of the pressure of our operational activities; he ran into the hands of another security group that eventually took him out. As at today, that camp at Amoputu is closed,” he stated.