Sunday 31 July 2016

Why we used aerial bombardment on Arepo, others—Flag Officer



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.

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