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01/06/09: JTF arrests suspected militants

The Joint Military Task Force has arrested two persons suspected to be militants at Torugbebe Community, Benesede,in Bayelsa State.

Reports say that the task force launched its cordon and search operation on May 15 aimed at destroying identified militants' camps in the Niger Delta region.

A spokesman for the task force, Rabe Abubakar, said in an on-line statement on Monday that the suspects, John Seikeke and Boloma Atokudu were picked up at 7 a.m. on Sunday during one of such operations.

"The Joint Task Force, Operation Restore Hope, has arrested two men suspected to be militants, following a tip-off at Torugbene Community in Benesede, Bayelsa State, while conducting a Cordon and Search Operation,'' Mr. Abubakar said.

He said that the suspects were in possession of an AK 47 rifle with one round of 7.62 mm ammunition, with registration number XQ2354.

He said that investigation was still going on and the suspects were assisting the JTF with information on how they came about the firearms and ammunition.

The spokesman said that an attempted pipeline vandalism by men suspected to be militants was averted by JTF at Awoba Community in Rivers.

"The troops deployed at the Shell Platform were on their normal routine check of the area when the vandals were discovered.

"They ran away on sighting men of the task force and no arrest was made, the general situation of the area is being monitored closely to avoid similar occurrences in future," he added.

31/05: Solve Niger Delta crisis with education- Alumni urge FG

Worried by the crisis in the Niger Delta, the federal government has been called upon to use the instrumentality of education to eradicate poverty in the region.

The call was made in a communiqué issued by Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates Association (UNIFEMGA) at the end of its three day national reunion held at Ile Ife, Osun state.

The communiqué, signed by its National President, Alhaji Ahmed Popoola attributed the crisis in the Niger Delta to poverty and ignorance.

UNIFEMGA said in the communiqué that it believed that the only solution to eradication of poverty and ignorance was education and called on all stakeholders to ensure proper education to the citizenry.

The Union, whose conference theme is: ``Education: Tool for Poverty Eradication" noted that education was the most potent weapon with which poverty could be ultimately eradicated.

``Emphasis by all stakeholders should be placed on education for self-reliance, job creation and innovation. Such value added education should provide for technological education to facilitate the conversion of local resources into goods and services as an escape route from poverty,'' it added.

The conference equally called on both ASUU and the federal government to avoid another round of crisis in the educational sector, by quickly and amicably resolving the areas of misunderstanding in the overall interest of the system.

UNIFEMGA also canvassed for special attention to be paid to educational opportunity for the women folks and the people with disability in the society.

``The case of the girl-child should be addressed, where appropriate, appeal should be made to the religious sentiment of Muslim parents who should realise that denying their daughters access to education is a sin for which they are answerable to Allah on the day of judgment,'' it said.

On funding of education, UNIFEMGA said priority should be given to UNESCO recommended level of 26 per cent of annual budget.

''If Nigeria is desirous of being among the 20:2020 globally as well as meet with Millennium Development Goals (MGDs),'' the union said.

The association considered the graduate unemployment in Nigeria as a big problem and called for urgent action to reduce the causes of frustration and aggression on the part of young graduates.

``To solve the decadence in education, moral instruction based on thorough religious education must be given a pride of place in the educational curriculum at all levels,'' it added.

The association equally recommended the prophetic saying of helping the poor and the needy ``by being one's brother's keepers ''.

The reunion conference that was attended by over 300 delegates also witnessed a special Capacity Building Workshop for students on campus entitled ``Competing for the Future''.

Prof. Daud Noibi, the Executive Secretary of Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), delivered the Re-Union Lecture.

Other highlights of the conference were the launch of N20 million Scholarship Endowment Fund and presentation of scholarship awards to nine students.

30/05: Niger Delta militants reject renewed amnesty offer

Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua renewed on Friday his offer for amnesty to militants in the Niger Delta, two weeks after the military launched its biggest offensive in years, but the rebels said 'no'.

Yar'Adua initially said in April he was ready to grant amnesty to gunmen in the Niger Delta if they agreed to lay down their weapons, but the main militant group dismissed the offer as mere words.

"Our offer of amnesty to militants in the region who lay down their arms remains on the table," the president said in a speech commemorating Nigeria's Democracy Day.

"I urge them to avail themselves of this offer and join hands with us and their peaceful and law-abiding compatriots to develop the Niger Delta for the benefit of its people."

But the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) rejected it and said it would only consider a "well-defined" amnesty programme negotiated by both sides.

"The recently renewed amnesty offer by the Nigerian government has been hereby rejected by MEND because it is ambiguous, dictatorial and has not been tested in a test tube," the militant group said in an e-mailed statement.

Yar'Adua's offer comes during a five-day lull in fighting between the military and militants.

The military began its latest campaign on May 15, bombarding militant camps around Warri in Delta state from the air and sea and sending three battalions of soldiers to hunt down rebels believed to have fled into surrounding communities.

It said it could no longer "fold its hands" after attacks on soldiers, pipeline bombings and the hijacking of oil vessels, all of which have prevented Nigeria from reaching its full oil production potential in recent years.

In response, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has declared an "all-out war" against the military and bombed a Chevron pipeline on Sunday, forcing the shutdown of 100,000 barrels per day.

The militants say they are fighting for a fairer share of the natural resources in the Niger Delta, but criminal gangs involved in the industrial-scale theft of crude oil and kidnapping for ransom are profiting from the insecurity.

29/05: JTF releases 9 suspects

The Joint Military Task Force has released nine persons it arrested on May 20.

The nine persons, who were suspected to be militants, were in a wooden boat close to Tompolo's Camp 5 around Okerenkoko when they were arrested by a JTF patrol team.

But JTF spokesman, Col. Rabe Abubakar, in a statement on Thursday in Effurun, said the security men released the men after thorough investigations which exonerated them.

Abubakar said the investigation revealed that they were staff of Blessed Transport company and were coming from Pesu Market.

He said that they were on their way to Ogheye Community in Delta when they were arrested.

``The release of these men by the task force has indicated that we are not in the region to intimidate or harass innocent people who are going about their lawful business,'' he said.

The JTF urged all well meaning residents of the region to go about their normal business without fear of intimidation.

28/05: 7 bombs discovered in militants' arms dump

The Joint Military Task Force (JTF) has discovered seven high calibre bombs as it extended its search and rescue operation beyond Camp 5 in Oporoza in Delta State.

Seven primed bombs and three Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) were among the arms and ammunition found in a mini arms dump near Okerenkoko community.

The JTF spokesman, Rabe Abubakar, who confirmed the discovery on Wednesday in Effurun, said militants abandoned the arms.

"JTF will continue to destroy their (militants') arms and ammunition anywhere so as to free the zone from insecurity," he said.

Meanwhile, militants were said to be preparing to intercept three cargo vessels en-route Warri Port.

A source close to the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), who preferred anonymity, said that the vessels had been on the high sea for three days.

According to the source, the vessels refrained from coming in over fears of planned reprisal attack by the militants against the JTF in Delta creeks.

"They are aiming at the Navy armoury in the river to get arms and ammunitions for the reprisal attack," a source said.

But reacting, Mr. Abubakar said the militants would not succeed in their plan as JTF was battle ready.

He called on critics of JTF operations to caution the militants, saying peace was returning to the affected communities where hostilities between the federal forces and militants took place.

The spokesman also lauded the people of Odi community in Bayelsa for reporting strange faces and suspicious movements.

Mr. Abubakar said this led to the arrest of a militant, Ken Neweigha, on Tuesday.

27/05: Militant leader killed by policeMilitant leader, Ken Niweigha was killed by policemen on Tuesday night as he tried to escape in Odi, Bayelsa State.

Mr. Niwieigha was arrested on Tuesday after being involved in a car accident. He was basically a wanted man after having escaped from prison custody where he was on remand for the 1999 killing of several police officers.

He attempted to escape arrest after officers followed him to his hide-out to recover arms and ammunition. He and three others had been arrested.

Mr. Niwieigha had also allegedly instigated the unsuccessful assassination of Bayelsa Police Commissioner, Onuoha Udeka.

27/05: Kidnappers release Delta lawmaker

The kidnapped member of the Delta House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya, was released early on Wednesday morning by his captors in Sapele in Delta.

The Speaker of the Delta House of Assembly, Martin Okonta, announced the release of the legislator on the floor of the House in Asaba on Wednesday.

Mr. Okonta gave no detail about Mr. Igbuya's release, but adjourned further sitting of the House to Thursday to enable members to pay solidarity visit to the released lawmaker.

Mr. Igbuya was kidnapped in Sapele on Thursday last week by unidentified persons between 7.30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

A family source had said that the kidnappers came in two cars and took the legislator to the waterside, where a getaway speed boat was waiting.

The Deputy Governor of Delta, Amos Utuama, said then that the state government had put machinery in place to track down the kidnappers of the lawmaker.

He also said the government would do everything possible to ensure the safety and rescue of the lawmaker.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Delta, Charles Muka, said he was not aware of Mr. Igbuya's release.

27/05: Militant commander killed in Odi

A militant commander in Odi in Kolokuma/Opokuma Council Area of Bayelsa, Ken Neweigha, has been shot dead, police say.

Neweigha was arrested by a team of police officers led by the Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Onuoha Udeka, in Odi in Bayelsa on Tuesday.

Mr. Udeka had gone to Odi following a protest staged by more than 500 women from the community against the harbouring of fleeing militants from Delta State in Neweigha's camp.

Mr. Udeka, who confirmed the death of Neweigha on Wednesday in Yenagoa, said the militant commander attempted to escape while guiding the police to recover arms from his camp on Tuesday night.
According to the police chief, on getting to the camp area located in Odi, the suspect attempted to escape. He was killed in the resulting cross fire.

He described the incident as unfortunate, because the suspect was to help security operatives to get to more militants and to the root of the many atrocities Neweigha allegedly committed.

Neweigha was alleged to be the leader of the gang that killed some policemen - ACP Thomas Jokotola, and DSP George Nwinee, the DPO at Kaiama police station - in 1999 leading to the military invasion of Odi.

Neweigha, alias Daddy Ken, had also escaped from the Port Harcourt Prison on June 17, 2005, after unidentified gunmen broke into the prison.

The remains of the militant commander have been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa.

27/05: JTF destroys more militants' camp

The Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) on Tuesday said it has destroyed an observation camp with a house boat hidden in a dredged creek.

The JTF said the camp belonged to militants in the creeks.

JTF spokesman Rabe Abubakar, in a statement on Tuesday in Effurun, said the camp was between Okerenkoko and Jones Creek village in Warri South-West Local Government of Delta.

Abubakar said the camp belonged to militant leader, Government Ekpemupolo, nicknamed Tompolo, who is currently on the run.

He said from the blood stains found, the camp must have been used as an emergency treatment centre for wounded militants.

Abubakar also said the JTF did not kill or burn civilian houses in its search and rescue operation as being alleged by MEND.

"It is worthy of note that Niger Deltans and Nigerians generally have come to know that JTF did not loot anywhere.

"It did not destroy any property of innocent civilians as claimed by the crooks in the guise of freedom fighters.

"We are carrying out our legitimate duty of making the Niger Delta free from all forms of criminality," he said.

Abubakar said the state chapter of Red Cross Society of Nigeria also confirmed the JTF position that no civilian house was bombed in the operation.

He said it was normal for civilians to run on sighting armed men or hearing the sounds of guns and urged members of the public not to be sentimental on security issues.

Abubakar said the operation was still on saying, "we are still looking for our missing colleagues and the remaining expatriates."

26/05: Total denies attack on Nigerian platform

The Nigerian arm of French oil giant, Total, has denied reports of an early morning attacks by militants at one of its oil platforms.

A company's source, who spoke under anonymity, however, confirmed to NEXT on the telephone on Tuesday, that there was a shoot out, but no one was hurt.

He said: "Militants came to our Amenam Kpono Platform 3 in the early hours of today (Tuesday). Usually the platform is unmanned, but there are security operatives keeping watch over the facility.

What normally happens is that when militants identify unmanned platforms, they go to such platforms to vandalise it and to steal mostly solar panels and batteries, which they use for their own operations. But in this instance, they were repelled by the security men as they approached, so there was a shoot out, but no one was hurt."

26/05: Members of Ogoni community arrested

Members of Ogoni community and other Nigerian activists were today arrested by soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force in Rivers State.

Most of those arrested are women who were on their way to the late Ken Saro-Wiwa's village for a rally. The rally was meant to show their solidarity for the case that will coming up in USA tomorrow on the complicity of Shell and the Nigerian government in the Ogoni murders.

The women were released after their leaders intervened and explained that women's action is not in any way meant to breach public peace.

The Joint Task force said its action was based on the manner in which the women, who were all dressed in white vests on which Ken Saro-wiwa's picture was printed, were chanting.

26/05: Nigerian gunmen open fire at Total offshore site

Nigerian security forces repelled an attempted attack on an offshore oil drilling platform operated by French energy company Total on Tuesday, a security contractor working in the oil industry said.

Around five attackers in a speedboat exchanged fire with security personnel shortly after dawn close to the platform at Total's 125,000 barrels per day Amenam field, located around 30 km (19 miles) from the coast of the Niger Delta.

"A security vessel on site repelled the attack. Gunfire was exchanged but there were no injuries," the security contractor told Reuters.
A military spokesman said he was investigating the report.

Nigerian militants launched their first major strike late on Sunday against the oil industry since the start of a 10-day old military offensive, bombing a Chevron pipeline and shutting 100,000 barrels per day of output.
They warned of further attacks on oil infrastructure.

The strike came after the military launched its biggest offensive for years a week and a half ago, bombarding militant camps around Warri in Delta state from the air and sea before sending three battalions of soldiers to hunt down rebels.

The security forces say they have destroyed at least two major militant camps in the Chanomi Creek area around Warri since launching their offensive and that they are now in control of the ground in the surrounding creeks.

But industry sources say it is virtually impossible to fully protect hundreds of kilometres of pipeline in remote and largely unpopulated areas, leaving infrastructure -- including off-shore sites -- exposed to hit-and-run guerrilla raids.

26/05: PENGASSAN threatens to withdraw members from Niger Delta

Oil workers have threatened to abandon the Niger Delta in the wake of the upsurge in violence in the oil-rich region in the last two weeks.

Babatunde Ogun, president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) warns that oil workers will not hesitate to vacate the area, if the federal government did not put an end to the violence in the region, he told NEXT in a telephone interview on Monday.

Mr Ogun said: "if there is no solution to this unending killings and destruction of properties, we will have no choice other than to abandon the area." Oil workers had threatened to back out many times in the past, but were always convinced to remain after government's intervention.

Insecurity in the Niger Delta has led to the kidnap of expatriate oil workers for ransom. But with few foreigners left in the region, kidnappers have turned their attention to members of the oil workers union, and their families.

Most oil company executives who have to live in the Niger Delta, now do so without their families for fear that they might be kidnapped for ransom.

The union's president said his members desired peace in the oil-rich region to enable them carry out their duties without fear, adding that the union "would withdraw its members if they were no longer safe."
"We are watching and waiting for what the government will do" says Mr. Ogun.

The union also urges the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), the main militant group in the region, to stop kidnapping people and destroying property.

The union argued that the violence is counter-productive and it is defeating MEND's claim of marginalisation of the Niger Delta and its demand for government's increased attention to the region.

PENGASSAN notes that if MEND's agitations were properly channelled, the resolution of the conflicts in the area would be faster.

26/05: Displaced persons out of aid workers' reach in crisis areas

Aid agencies are unable to access an area in the Niger Delta where more than 2,000 people are believed to be hiding in the bush after a military offensive against militants forced families to flee their homes.

Security forces have cordoned off the area as their operation continues."Our mandate is to provide relief to people in distress," Yushau Shuaib, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) spokesperson, said in a communiqué. "We have tried to get relief materials into the creeks for those trapped there, but the military say it [the aid effort] has to wait until the military operation is over."

Military officials say they entered the area to root out militant groups after the groups allegedly attacked government soldiers. The only way the JTF will stop its offensive is if militants produce military personnel they have abducted, Joint Task Force maritime commander, Azubuike Ajuonu, said in a press statement over the weekend.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is appealing to government Joint Task Force troops to allow humanitarian passage and to recognise civilians' right to access medical care.Most of the 3,000 people estimated to have fled their homes are still hiding in the bush, NEMA says.

The delta is made up of a dense network of freshwater creeks, much of it accessible only by boat. Without access to the creeks it is difficult to get a clear picture of what is going on, said Michael Uwemedimo, who works with local NGO Stakeholder Democracy Network.

Local authorities and NGOs, including the Nigerian Red Cross and ICRC, are urging the JTF to enable a joint humanitarian assessment team to travel to the creeks as soon as possible.

The JTF launched an offensive on communities across Warri south and southwest government areas on 13 May after JTF troops were reportedly attacked by armed groups in Delta State, according to Amnesty International.

JTF forces have reportedly rescued 20 hostages - some Nigerian, some foreign - from Delta state since the offensive began, according to military statements; an unknown number of government soldiers remain missing.

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), an umbrella group representing a number of militant factions, issued a statement on 25 May saying it has destroyed several major oil pipelines in response.

25/05: Chevron pipeline attacked in Niger Delta

An oil pipeline in the Niger Delta belonging to oil major, Chevron, has been breached resulting in a shut-in of 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of production, the company said on Monday.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta had claimed it had destroyed major flow lines connecting at least five flow stations that feed a Chevron facility in Delta State.

"At about 0200 Hrs today, Monday, May 25, 2009, fighters from the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) destroyed major trunk lines to effectively put the under-listed flow stations that feed the Chevron tank farm located in Delta state of Nigeria out of operation," MEND spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo said in an email statement to NEXT.

The affected flow stations, according to the statement are, Chevron (at Alero creek), Otunana, Abiteye, Makaraba, and Dibi."

Colonel Rabe Abubakar, spokesperson for the Joint Military Taskforce in the Niger Delta confirmed the attack. He said the taskforce is on the verge of apprehending the militant group responsible.

25/05: Bishops raise funds for crisis victims, say kidnapping is unjustifiable

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) are to set aside collections of May 24 2009 to support victims of the Niger Delta crisis.

President, of the religious body, Felix Alaba-Job, disclosed this on Monday in Ibadan, while stressing the need to assist those in need and condemning the use of kidnapping as a way of redress.

Mr. Alaba-Job said that he had sent letters to all the archdioceses and dioceses in Nigeria to send the special collections of Sunday, May 24, 2009 to the Catholic Secretariat.

``Whatever is realised will be sent to the Development and Peace Office of the Catholic Secretariat for onward remission to the needy in the Niger Delta region,'' he said to the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said the money will be used to provide relief materials including clothing and foodstuffs for those who have been widowed, orphaned or displaced.
‘'We are aware of the tension in the Niger Delta. It is not time to apportion blames but to assist our brothers and sisters in need,'' he said.

Mr Alaba-Job also said the kidnapping of innocent people in exchange for ransoms was unjustifiable.``Kidnapping which started in the Niger Delta as a way of redressing matters, has now been extended to other parts of Nigeria.``It is not right to kidnap innocent people, torture them and ask for ransom from their families before they are released.It is not a justifiable way of getting redress,'' he said.

25/05: Lukman rebuffs militants' statement

Nigeria is currently pumping about 1.5-1.6 million barrels per day of crude, Oil Minister Rilwanu Lukman said on Monday.

Mr. Lukman declined to comment on Nigeria's main militant group's statement that it has attacked major oil pipelines in the Niger Delta and said he was unaware of the attack.

"It's not the first time and I don't think it will be the last," Mr. Lukman said. "But we have to deal with it."

25/05: Nigeria army frees more hostages, extends offensive
Nigerian security forces freed three more Filipino hostages on Sunday and extended their offensive against militants to Rivers State, where one rebel leader was shot dead, an army spokesman said.

The military began its biggest onslaught for years over a week ago, bombarding militant camps around the oil-city of Warri in Delta State from the air and sea before sending hundreds of soldiers to hunt down rebels believed to have fled into surrounding communities.

Helicopters and planes were used to survey the creeks and guide ground troops to try and flush out militants from remote communities around the port of Warri, a military spokesman said.

"A cordon and search operation ... has led to the rescue of additional three Filipinos," Colonel Rabe Abubakar, spokesman of the joint taskforce overseeing security in the delta, said.
He said the three, who were rescued in Oporoza community in Gbaramatu kingdom near Warri, were receiving treatment at a military hospital.

A total of 17 foreigners and four Nigerians have so far been rescued since the military began its campaign on May 15.
More than a dozen Filipinos were seized 11 days ago from an oil vessel in Chanomi Creek close to Warri.

In a separate operation, troops raided a militant hideout in Abonnema, about 30 km (19 miles) west of the oil hub of Port Harcourt, the southern delta's main city.

"After fierce exchange of gunfire with the militants, one militant, Nana Sele, suspected to be their leader, was shot dead during the operations and others fled with gunshot wounds," the military said in a statement.

24/05: Niger-Delta armed conflict to end in days -- Jonathan

Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said that the armed conflict in the Niger Delta area would end in the next few days.

Mr. Jonathan gave the assurance in Abuja during his meeting with visiting Prime Minister of France, Francois Fillon, at the State House.

Mr. Jonathan said that the Federal Government had no intention to go into war with militants in the region.

He said that the military operation was caused by certain development, which was being handled by security agencies.

``Government has no intention to punish anybody but to integrate or re-integrate all folks within the region, whether they are militants or the youths,'' he said.

He told the French premier and his entourage that Nigeria was safe for investment.

``I know that the Niger Delta is an area that is disturbing to any country doing business with Nigeria, especially in the oil sector.

``But I can assure you that government is working very hard to bring this perceived hostility in the region under control,'' he said.

He said that the agitation in the Niger Delta started as a genuine clamour for infrastructure development, wealth creation and capacity development by oil companies.

``However, from 2006 to 2009, armed struggle crept into the agitation and assumed a dimension that, sometimes, becomes difficult to control,'' he said.

Mr. Jonathan said that the Federal Government had striven hard to intervene in the Niger Delta's development.

He cited the establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, as part of the measures taken by the government to address the area's development challenges.

24/05: Amnesty window still open to Niger Delta Militants - Yar'Adua
President Umaru Yar'Adua on Friday in Abuja said the Federal Government's offer of amnesty was still open to militants in the Niger Delta ``who lay down their arms''.

Speaking at an audience with the visiting French Prime Minister, Francois Fillon, Mr. Yar'Adua said the Federal Ministry of Interior was overseeing the implementation of the amnesty plan.

Declaring that his administration was still committed to the implementation of the 25-year strategic Master Plan for the Niger Delta, the president stressed that peace and stability were necessary pre-conditions for the development of the region.

Mr. Yar'Adua said: ``Federal Government will continue do everything possible to restore peace and security to the Niger Delta to make it safe for development and investments.

``We will continue to channel resources to the Niger Delta Ministry and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NNDC) for the overall development of the region.''

The president also spoke on Nigeria's readiness to continue to play peace-keeping roles in Darfur, the Gulf of Guinea and elsewhere in the African continent under the auspices of the African Union ``to prevent the breakdown of law and order''.

On bilateral relations, Mr. Yar'Adua commended the signing of four agreements between both countries during Fillon's visit that ``would deepen the strategic partnership between Nigeria and France''.

The president, who lauded France's support for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), also praised her support for reforms of the UN Security Council.

The French Prime Minister, who called Nigeria ``a strategic partner with considerable development potential," said France was the second largest foreign investor in the country after the U.S.

He commended Nigeria's peace-keeping roles in Africa, while calling for Nigeria's representation at the G-8 ``to hear Africa's voice''.

21/05: Military operation in the Niger Delta for peace-keeping, says Bankole
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has said the military operation in the Niger Delta region is aimed at restoring peace in the region.

Mr. Bankole, speaking at the airport on his way to Abuja on Wednesday, described the operation as merely a peace-keeping one.

"As far as I am concerned, it is a peace-keeping option, which is going on in the Niger Delta," he said.
Commenting on the 10 per cent cut in the basic salary of senators, Bankole said the House had aligned its position with that of the Senate.

20/05: Industrialists call for trial of Niger Delta looters
The Warri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (WACCIMA), has called for a truth and reconciliation commission to try those who allegedly looted the resources of the Niger Delta.

The President of the Chamber, Edema Abrakata, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Warri, Delta, on Sunday.

He also accused past military administrations in the Niger Delta region of fueling the crisis in the area by refusing to develop it and nipping the problems in the bud.

Mr. Abrakata said: "When the militants were threatening hell fire and brimstone in 1997, the military administrators in the Niger Delta states could not remove the threat for peace to reign.

"When you ask them why they are not developing Niger Delta area, they will tell you that there are security problems, yet they are taking revenue from this area... We just want development here. If that is the only way we will get it, fine. Thank God for the magnanimity of the federal government in granting them (militants) amnesty."

He appealed to government to follow up the amnesty issue with a reconciliation commission.

"The truth and reconciliatory commission can give them amnesty by the time the truth comes out. But let those people (looters) be brought to book," Mr. Abrakata said.