The Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval
Command, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai has given more clarification on the aerial
bombardment of Arepo, Ibafo and others in Ogun State, as well as neighboring
towns in Lagos State.
At news briefing at the command in Apapa,
Lagos, Rear Admiral Bobai said the military operation became necessary to check
the rising cases of oil and gas pipeline vandalism, kidnapping and armed
robbery, by militants operating from the creeks in the affected communities.
He said in view of that, the Chief
of Naval Staff gave the directives that they should dismantle vandals camp and shanties.
According to him, at first they were
asked not to use air power due to its destructive ability, but because the
areas were not accessible by water and land, the Chief of Defence Staff gave
the go ahead to use air bombardment.
The Flag Officer remarked that to
make matters worse, the vandals blocked the water ways with trees.
When the aerial bombardment started,
he said the militants retaliated with gun battle, but the heavy military presence
on ground, blocked all their escape routes, rounded them off and killed most of
them.
Bobai added that at the creek, long
lines of gericans used by the militants to steal petroleum products, were seen,
an indication that they have been having feud days.
Our correspondent reports that the number
of militants killed has not be ascertained, but so many of them lost their
lives in the military action which is continuing until the bad boys are
completely eradicated.
