Army Vows To Deal With Militants In Bakassi

The Chief of Army
Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, has stormed Cross River State, reading a riot act to militants in Bakassi, disturbing residents of villages along the creeks of Akpabuyo and Bakassi Local Government Areas of the state to desist or face severe consequences, stressing that the army was fully prepared to flush them out of the area.
The Tide reports that residents of Akpabuyo and Bakassi local government areas are alleged to have been living in perpetual fear due to seemingly unrestrained activities of militants who are reported to have taken over the creeks of the two local government areas, kidnapping, assaulting and raping unsuspecting victims, dispossessing them of their precious belongings, thereby negatively impacting economic activities.
Speaking to journalists at the flag-off of the ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile’ at the Amphibious Training School of the Nigerian Army in Calabar, the state capital, the Buratai, stated that the exercise would help the military patrol and monitor criminal activities in the hard-to-reach areas of the state.
“You can see the troop that just left here, they are on their way to all parts of Cross River, especially t he Bakassi area where suspected terrorists are operating,” the chief of Army staff said.
While addressing the troops shortly after concluding a capability test and inspecting the guard of honour, Brutai commended his men for their efforts in containing all criminality that exist within the region.
He charged officers and men of the force to continue in the maintenance of the Army‘s presence in all the creeks and flash points where criminal activities exist.
The COAS, while in a meeting with the state Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, said the exercise was imperative in view of the challenges in the Niger Delta.
The governor, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, explained that the amphibious training was a routine exercise designed to reposition the officers and men of the military for the tasks ahead, and stressed that it would go a long way to show that the military personnel were gallant in carrying out their duties.
The Army boss described the cooperation of the security agencies in the state as tremendous, and appealed to the Cross River State Government for continuous support.
In his reaction, Governor Ben Ayade, expressed appreciation to the armed forces for their efforts in checking criminals in the state, and described militants as criminals and miscreants, who plunder the state for their selfish interests.
Ayade, therefore, appealed to the Army to deal decisively with the criminals who feel that they can break the law of the land and get away with it.
He stated that the state needed peace to attract investors, who can invest in the state, given the fact that the state is no longer a beneficiary of crude oil money.

Friday Nwagbara, Calabar