Military Performs Operation Safety Check In Niger Delta

The commander of Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, says the joint task force will not hesitate to enforce its mandate in the Niger Delta region, expressing the troops’ readiness to contain any eventuality in the area.

The OPDS commander spoke at Ikang border post in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State, shortly after embarking on ‘Exercise Safety Check’, within the Niger Delta creeks.

Members of the taskforce comprise the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel.

According him, the exercise was intended to ensure the protection of Nigeria’s critical infrastructures, while nipping other forms of criminality in the bud during and after the yuletide.

Answering questions from reporters, Suleiman expressed confidence in the mental and physical fitness of the troops to discharge their duties effectively.

“This is a continuation of Exercise Safety Check that started last week from Delta to Bayelsa, Rivers to Akwa Ibom and down to Cross River.

“So far, you can agree with me that there has been relative peace within our joint operation area.

“What we have seen so far shows that our troops are ready and prepared for any eventuality. We are sure of enforcing the mandate that has been given to us,” he said.

Highlight of the exercise, which took the team aboard several military gunboats to the Cameroun military post; Bataillon d’ Intervention Rapide (BIR), in Archibong Town, had the commander feasting with the troops in Esighi.

Deputy force commander; land component, Brigadier General Kelvin Aligbe, the sector 4 commander, Col. NU Muktar, among other top officers were part of the exercise.

Military operations have increased in the Niger Delta region since militancy returned to the region in 2015, affecting the nation’s oil output which is the major means of revenue generation.

Several attacks on oil installations dropped crude oil output to less than a million barrels per day.