The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Burutai, has asked militants in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria to speak with one voice, if they expect to be taken seriously.
The Army Chief made the call on Monday on the side-line of a closed door meeting with security heads including the police, Department of State Services and representatives of oil companies in south-south Nigeria.
He told journalists in Rivers State that the proliferation of groups, who claim to be Niger Delta militants, do not come across as a genuine move for peace.
General Burutai stated that the “Exercise Crocodile Smile” should not be mistaken for an invasion in the region.
However, he maintained that the army would not hesitate to clamp down on any action that threatens the peace of the Niger Delta.
The call is coming barely two weeks after the Nigerian Army formally launched the new military exercise in the Niger Delta region.
The exercise has a mandate to provide adequate security for residents as well as critical national economic assets in the region.
General Buratai, who flagged-off the exercise in Sapele, Delta State, had urged military personnel to respect the rights of law abiding citizens in their areas of operation whom he said were critical to the success of the exercise.
