Soldiers Comb Delta State For Pipeline Bombers

The military has begun the deployment of troops in Delta State to apprehend those who attacked oil facilities in the state recently.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, told one of our correspondents on the telephone in Abuja on Sunday that the military had deployed enough troops to dominate the areaa and commence the search for those behind the attacks on the strategic assets of the nation.
Niger Delta militants had on Thursday attacked the Escravos–Warri–Abuja–Lagos pipelines.
The attack came shortly after the Federal High Court in Lagos ordered the arrest of a Niger Delta ex-militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, for his failure to appear in the court to answer 30 counts of alleged N34bn fraud.
A newspaper had on Sunday reported that the attacks were aimed at crippling the nation’s crude oil production.
After bombing the Escravos-Warri-Abuja-Lagos pipelines at about 10pm on Thursday, the militants blew up the Chevron Nigeria Limited’s Utunan–Makaraba crude oil pipeline at about 10.30pm on Friday and proceeded to bomb the Olero gas pipeline in the early hours of Saturday.
In the interview with The PUNCH, the Defence spokesman stated that the military was taking precautionary measures to prevent further attacks on oil facilities in the Niger Delta.
Abubakar said the military would inform the public as soon as those behind the dastardly act were apprehended.
He warned that the military would be decisive in dealing with any threat to security in the areas.
The Defence spokesman called on the citizens of the areas to cooperate with security operatives in the search for those behind the attacks on the oil facilities,
Abubakar added, “The military is doing something about it, I mean the destruction of oil facilities in that part of the Niger Delta.
“We have dominated all the areas and all that we could do to prevent unholy acts in the areas.
“The military has deployed properly in the areas and the search is ongoing. As soon as we make headway, the public will be informed.
“We are warning that any breach of security will be dealt with no matter who is involved. Destruction of strategic assets will no longer be tolerated.
“All those involved will be brought to book. We are dominating the areas to apprehend the hooligans.
“We want to appeal to the people of the areas to cooperate with the military to expose those behind the attacks.