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| Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai |
The Federal Government
has launched a special military operation code-named operation AWATSU against
pipeline vandals in the country. The operatives of the special task force have
also arrested 25 members of the gang of vandals operating at the Arepo in Ogun
State and parts of Lagos State.
The
report continues:
The
Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, who stated this
in an exclusive interview with Saturday PUNCH, said that the operatives also
seized 50 vehicles belonging to the vandals in the ongoing operation in Lagos.
He
said that the military was taking proactive steps to curtail the activities of
the vandals in the Lagos axis.
Last
year, the military took a decision after a meeting between the leadership of
the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to maintain a presence at the Arepo
area following the killing of four policemen and 11 officials of the Department
of State Services by suspected vandals.
Abubakar
said that the arrests and the seizures made by the military were responsible
for the recent call by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas,
for the establishment of special courts to try vandals in the country.
He
also stressed that the military had done adequate deployment to ensure the
protection of the nation’s pipelines in the country.
He
said, “You see, we are taking proactive measures. As I speak to you, there is
an operation called ‘Operation AWATSU.’ We are doing enough in that place, if
you follow what has been happening, there has been serious arrests and
seizures.
“Just
of recent, about 25 persons were arrested with 50 vehicles in Lagos. This
operation is ongoing until we sanitize the whole general area and I believe we
will do that because this is a very important axis that cannot be neglected,
and whoever is doing this kind of thing is not a true Nigerian.
“And
some of them were arrested and we will continue to do that. That is why the
chief of Naval Staff canvassed for a special court to try such persons, so as
to serve as a deterrent to others and that is the position of the Armed
Forces.”
The Defence spokesperson
urged the people of the host communities to the pipelines to cooperate with
security operatives in protecting them.
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