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Tag: Mike Odiegwu

  • Labour, Dickson disagree on education tax

    Labour, Dickson disagree on education tax

    The Bayelsa State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Monday, disagreed with Governor Seriake Dickson, on the introduction of compulsory education levy in the state.

    Dickson signed the Bayelsa Education Development Trust Fund Law 2017 compelling civil servants, goverment officials, contractors and taxable citizens to pay monthly education levy.

    The governor explained the reasons behind the tax insisting it was part of the measures to protect the future of education in the state.

    Dickson, who said he was the highest contributor to the funds insisted that anybody opposed to the tax would be considered as an enemy of the state.

    According to him, the fund would guarantee the sustainability of huge investments of the government in the educational sector.

    Dickson said: ”From now on, funds will be pumped into the EDTF account to support the free feeding, free uniforms and other items of the students. And it will take little contributions from every Bayelsan; some will pay as little as N400, N500 per month. There are others that will have to pay N1,000 or more depending on their business”.

    But the NLC chairman, Mr. John Ndiomu, said that while the workers were in support of the education development of the state, they believed that the government had the capacity to finance it without resorting to imposing further taxes on them.

    Ndiomu appealed to the government to review the levy because workers were still grappling with how to survive the current recession.

    On his part, the TUC chairman in the state, Mr. Tari Dounana, described the levy as “an antipeople’s policy” by the executive and the legislature without any inputs from the stakeholders.

    Dounana said: “It is unfortunate that such a law that requires civil servants to make contributions about their salaries was passed and assented to without a public hearing for the stakeholders to make their views known

    “We have already agreed to support the proposed Health Insurance Policy into which workers will also make contributions. This is one deduction too many. We are opposed to it.”

    But the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said that the levy had noble intentions insisting that the state needed it to move its education forward.

    He said: ”We have built infrastructure and built boarding schools for which 16 of them will commence soon. We need to put up a system that can sustain them. The Government will be doing the job of providing infrastructure, but the essence of this is that we must run a boarding school and if we are to provide boarding facilities as we have done and we want to run them, we must put up a system that must sustain it outside of the direct government’s funding.

    ”And that is why the government has said that five per cent of its internally generated revenue will be channelled into the  EDTF and that everybody in government – political appointees and elected political officials including the civil servants and all citizens of the state will pay something into that fund which will be used primarily for students’ feeding and immediate needs in the boarding schools we have established in the eight local government areas for which the Ijaw National Academy is one.

    ”So, what we are doing is to sustain our educational system and also move Bayelsa out of the educationally disadvantaged state  to a state that will compete favourably with other states in the comity of states as a state that is educationally advantaged.”

  • Man arrested for slicing off toddler’s penis

    Man arrested for slicing off toddler’s penis

    A 59-year-old man identified as Ziwotimin Keke has been arrested by the police in Bayelsa State for chopping off the penis of a nine-month-old boy during circumcision.

    It was learnt that the incident threw the Ondewari community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State into shock.

    The victim was said to be the grandson of Keke, who was known in the community for his generosity in offering free circumcision to families.

    His cousin and activist, Morris Alagoa, who confirmed the incident said the old man was popular in the community for his free services.

    “He was only trying to help”, Alagoa said adding that it was not true that his cousin was known for chopping off penises during circumcision.

    Alagoa said: “The man in question is my cousin and he is like a father to the boy. The incident is like that of a driver with 40 years experience having an accident.

    “It is really sad and unfortunate that his free services to over 700 children from neighbouring communities have been brought into this ugly scenario.

    “He is a fisherman and engaged in logging of woods for a living. He is even a physically challenged man that offered circumcision services to the community.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asimin Butswat confirmed the arrest of the man.

    He said: “We were told the man had been doing this free circumcision for years. But we are investigating.”

  • Thugs attack Ankio Briggs, anti-Dickson protesters

    Thugs attack Ankio Briggs, anti-Dickson protesters

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, on Tuesday, boasted that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would win future elections in the state.

    The governor advised other party members including loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to renounced their membership and join the PDP if they had ambitions to contest any future electoral positions in the state.

    Dickson spoke at the Peace Park, where a crowd of PDP loyalists mobilised to celebrate his first year of his second term and five years in office as the governor.

    The governor, who danced to Ijaw war songs before addressing a mammoth crowd of his supporters said: “This state is unshakably PDP. When they tried to be funny, don’t worry, the reason I am Ofurumapepe leading this party is that when the battle never tough, Ofurumapepe doesn’t come out.

    “Anybody who wants to contest an election, let me put you on notice, the only platform that can win an election in this state under my leadership is the PDP. Which election will be tougher than the one we won with me as the candidate?

    “We will lead the party to win all elections in the state, God willing. We have nothing to hide. We are busy chasing the challenges of government in Bayelsa and at this time our hands as we have always said are opened.

    “The doors of PDP in Bayelsa are open even for those who made mistakes, our big umbrella is waiting to receive all of them back. If they don’t come back no way for elections in the state. Tell them. If they come back, accept them”.

    [news_list display=”tag” tag=”PDP” count=”2″ show_more=”on”]

    The Peace Park, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, was the destination for all lovers of Dickson, as he marked his anniversary.

    It was fanfare as a crowd of supporters adorned in their best attires marched the streets of Yenagoa to show Dickson love on Valentine day.

    As early as 7:00 a.m, supporters of the Restoration Government from various local government areas started processions from Igbogene, the outskirts of Yenagoa to Peace Park, located opposite Government House, Onopa, a distance of over 40km.

    The residents who marched according to their local government areas of Brass, Yenagoa, Nembe, Kolokuma-Opokuma, Southern Ijaw, Ekeremor and Ogbia, defied the scorching sun as they, drummed, sang and danced on the streets.

    Hundreds of groups including youths carrying pro-Dickson‘s banners, placards and other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) materials to rejoice with their governor.

    Women were the most colourful in their different uniform wrappers, blouses and scarfs with a touch of red, Valentine’s colour.

    The venue was congested with youths, all political appointees, federal and state legislators, national and state PDP’s executive members, security operatives, journalists and traditional rulers.

    But prior to the event thugs disrupted an anti-Dickson protest led by a Niger Delta activist, popularly referred to the Amazone of the Niger Delta, Ankio Briggs.

    Briggs and other protesters assembled around the Tombia Roundabout to commence a demonstration against Dickson‘s decision to confine herdsmen in the state within the Bayelsa Palm area of the state.

    The activist, who came from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to lead the protest under the auspices of Ijaw Women Connect (IWC) was disorganised by thugs in the presence of security operatives including the police.

    Briggs said the thugs injured some of the protesters and stole her telephone handsets, identity cards and other personal effects.

    [news_list display=”tag” tag=”Dickson” count=”2″ show_more=”on”]

    She said they pushed her down in the presence of a senior police officer complaining that the police failed to protect her and other protesters.

    She, however, said the demonstration was not against the leadership style of the governor but a “love rally” to disagree with the decision of the governor to allocate land to herdsmen.

    But in a swift reaction, the government through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Jonathan Obuebite, said the activist was attacked by her own thugs.

    “The information we receive as a government is that Briggs mobilised people to Bayelsa for a protest. But they people turned against her and attacked her because she could not pay them the mobilisation fee”, he said.

    Obuebite, who sympathised with Briggs, thanked security agencies for calming down the situation and saving the life of the activist.

    But Dickson insisted that the PDP would bounce back and regain the control of the centre in 2019 after resolving their internal crisis.

    He said he had transformed the state and brought development high used to be fantasies to realities adding that the people of the state now have the best hospitals, roads and schools under his government.

    “Everywhere you go, they tell you that one of the safest states in e country is Bayelsa because you said no to people who practice violence.

    “You have seen massive roads and we will continue to build the roads, hospitals and schools which they could not build,” he said.

    He noted that the hardship in the state was caused by APC at the federal level accusing the party of destroying the economy.

    He said under the APC, naira which used to be N160 to the dollar had skyrocketed to N500.

    The governor, however, promised to lift an embargo in employment in the state immediately he completed his reforms in the public service.

    He said his government would make more appointments to empower the people and reward persons who worked for his victory.

    Speaking at the occasion, the National Publicity Secretary, PDP and former Minister for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said when he first visited Bayelsa under former Governor Goodluck Jonathan, the state was a mini-village.

    But he said Dickson had transformed the stage into a town describing the governor as one of the pillars of the PDP.

    “With governor Dickson, PDP has a future”, he said adding that PDP managed the country for 17 years only for APC to destroy the economy.

    He said all the institutions built by the PDP were being used by APC to fight corruption in the country and insisted that in 2019, the party would bounce back.

    In their goodwill message, other speakers eulogised the governor saying he had redefined development in the state.

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  • Non-academic staff begin indefinite strike in Bayelsa varsity 

    Non-academic staff begin indefinite strike in Bayelsa varsity 

    Non-teaching staff of the Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, have embarked on an indefinite strike.
    The employees, under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee of NAAT, NASU and SSANU, NDU said in Yenagoa on Wednesday that their action was to protest non-payment of salaries for seven months.
    The workers further said that the government had been unable to address issues affecting them. 
    According to them instead of addressing their problems the government went ahead to issue a statement withdrawing from payment of NDU staff salaries.
    The workers’ position was contained in a communique signed by the Chairman, National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Dienagha Ekeipre; Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Fakidoma Wilcox; and Chairman, Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Kenneth Akpoafagha.
    The communique said:  ”We hereby recall our ‘sit-at-home industrial action’ which was suspended on August 29, 2016.
    ”We are against the government’s plan to downsize/retrench staff of the university. The present staff strength of the university is grossly inadequate in line with the National Universities Commission’s guidelines.
    ”We also embark on the industrial action because of the government’s decision to arbitrarily increase students’ school fees.
    ”Based on the unfruitful discussion with the state government and the reasons given above, the unions under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee, NDU chapter, resume the suspended industrial action with effect from this week.”
    Efforts to get the reaction of the Commissioner for Education, Mr Markson Fefegha, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone indicated that it was switched off.
  • Bayelsa dismisses rumoured review of Supreme Court’s ruling

    Bayelsa dismisses rumoured review of Supreme Court’s ruling

    • Says APC, Sylva planning to create confusion

    The Bayelsa State Government, on Tuesday, dismissed a speculation of an ongoing review of a Supreme Court’s judgement in the governorship electoral case between the incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson and Chief Timipre Sylva.

    The state has been unsettled by a widespread rumour that the apex court was about reviewing the judgement, which was delivered in favour of Dickson, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the concluded poll.

    Promoters of the speculation were said to be basking in unfounded claims that the review was designed by the court to overrule itself in favour of Sylva, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), an order his swearing-in on Thursday.

    Following the development, the government in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Mr Jonathan Obuebite, described the speculation as a complete falsehood.

    Obuebite said: “Our attention has been drawn to rumours making the rounds that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election, Chief Timipre Sylva is due to be sworn in this Thursday based on a phantom Supreme Court decision.

    “Ordinarily we would have ignored this latest falsehood and chicanery by the APC but because it is intended to throw the state into confusion and undermine the current peace, we are unequivocally clearing the air.

    “First we want to dismiss the strange story as it is a complete fiction that exists only in the dubious imagination of the originators. It has become very clear that the APC and it’s agents feed fat on deceit.

    “The landmark judgment of the Supreme court on November 8, 2016, was very clear in affirming the election of Governor Henry Seriake Dickson.  All seven justices that sat on the case were unanimous in their judgment and we have copies of it especially the lead judgment”.

    The commissioner said the promoters of the report were trying to woo gullible Bayelsans to gather somewhere and give a historic welcome to Sylva “who is planning to visit the state openly for the first time after he was roundly defeated”.

    “Their intent is also to attract cheap publicity through the planned stage managed reception and at the end‎ tell Sylva that he is still on ground when in actual fact he is not.

    “Thirdly, having exposed the reason for the rumour we call on security agents in the state to go after those behind it and ensure they are dealt with accordingly. This way the peace of the state will be maintained and never again will anyone or group ‎attempt to carryout such mischief.

    “We also call on Bayelsans not to allow themselves to be used by cohorts of Sylva for what is completely nugatory.  Any call to gather anywhere including the Port Harcourt International Airport should be completely ignored.

    “Lastly we want to emphasis that as a government that has sworn to protect the lives, property and integrity of her people, no amount of political brinkmanship‎ and unbridled offensive cum attack will make us poignant and distract us from our mandate, which is the thrust we have with our people”, he said.

  • Boko Haram: Niger Delta ex-militant leaders hail Buhari

    Boko Haram: Niger Delta ex-militant leaders hail Buhari

    • Seek presidential intervention on ex-militants’ plight

    Ex-militant leaders from the Niger Delta region, yesterday, described President Muhammadu Buhari as a relentless warrior following his victory over the Boko Haram insurgents.

    Leaders of Second Phase Presidential Amnesty Programme in a joint statement issued in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, commended Buhari for effectively taking over the notorious Sambisa Forest and ending terror regime of Boko Haram in the country.

    The National Chairman of the Second Phase, Mr Sylvester Tambo and the leaders of the group in Bayelsa, Mr Salvation Rufus and Delta State, Mr Muturu Kingsley, insisted that the President’s relentless efforts and consistent approach brought the unholy activities of the terrorist group in the North East to an end.

    But the ex-warlords appealed to Buhari to quickly resolve issues affecting the Niger Delta ex-militants including their arrears of unpaid stipends.

    They, however, blamed the travails of the ex-militants on the alleged refusal of the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, to release N30bn earmarked for the payment.

    They urged the minister to play a leadership role and encourage the youths from the region by quickly releasing the money for their stipends to complement the peace efforts of the President.

    The ex-militant leaders said: “We are commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his relentless approach in bringing the unholy activities of the Boko Haram to an end in the North East.

    “But we are appealing to the President to prevail on the Minister of Finance to release the N30bn earmarked for the payment of stipends to beneficiaries of the amnesty programme.

    “The inability to release funds to the Amnesty Office by the Finance Minister has greatly hampered effective payment of their salaries by the programme Coordinator, Brigadier Paul Boroh (retd).

    “We are also appealing to the Minister of Finance to play a leadership role and encourage the youths as President Buhari is doing. She should stop discouraging the youths from the Niger Delta region”.

    They noted that the ex-militants needed all their money to enable their children and wards return to school following the resumption of schools across the country.

    “We urge the minister of finance to do the needful by settling all outstanding debts to enable Paul Boroh function properly”, they said.

    The leaders also hinted that a crucial general meeting 125 ex-militant leader representing 6,600 ex-militants captured in the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) would hold at Bomadi, Delta State, on Saturday next week.

    The meeting would discuss knotty issues affecting the Niger Delta region especially the future of the amnesty programme and the region’s search for permanent peace.

    They urged all the leaders to attend the meeting en masse adding that important decisions would be taken at the gathering.

  • Sylva remains our leader, says Bayelsa APC

    Sylva remains our leader, says Bayelsa APC

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday, threw its weight behind a former Governor of the state, Chief Timipre Sylva, insisting that he remained its leader.

    The party in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr Panebi Fortune, passed a vote of confidence in Sylva despite his electoral misfortunes.

    Sylva, the governorship candidate of APC in the last election, lost his bid to return as a governor and failed to reverse the victory of the incumbent Governor Seriake Dickson at the court.

    But Fortune said the state Executive Committee of the APC met in Yenagoa, reviewed the entire process that led to the loss of the party and unanimously queued behind the former governor.

    He said the party was satisfied with Sylva’s peaceful disposition before, during and after the elections in the state.

    Fortune added that the party was pleased with Sylva’s doggedness following democratic principles to exhaust all legal means to reclaim his mandate.

    “This action, no doubt, makes him stand out as a true democrat and a lover of peace whose only interest is to bring succour to the suffering people of Bayelsa State,” he said.

    He said the party further commended chiefs, women, youth groups and the good people of the state for the support they gave to the APC and its candidate.

    Fortune said APC assured that it would not abandon the people at their difficult moments adding that the party thanked all APC stakeholders for their support.

    He said APC had started a fresh process of repositioning itself to win seats in the next state and National Assembly elections.

  • Diversification: Fed Govt explores non-oil resources in Bayelsa

    Diversification: Fed Govt explores non-oil resources in Bayelsa

    The Federal Government has launched a programme to identify and explore other mineral resources besides crude oil in Bayelsa State as part of its policy of diversifying the economy.

    A team from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) was in the state, yesterday, to assess and evaluate the availability of non-oil minerals and reach agreements for their development.

    The RMAFC’ Team on Nationwide Monitoring Exercise on Royalties led by a Director in the commission, Chief Sanyon Omiri, met with the Deputy Governor of the state, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) to discuss modalities for the exploration.

    Omiri noted that since the beginning of the economic recession, the non-oil sector accounted for 50 percent of the monthly revenue accruing to the federation account.

    He said following the implementation of the diversification policy the sector would contribute more in the nearest future.

    He lamented that Bayelsa got a paltry sum of N1.2million as its share of 13 per cent derivation from the non-oil sector.

    “Bayelsa currently occupies the 36th position on the table of non-oil remittance to the Federation Account, base on June allocations”, he said.

    According to him the state could move up to an appreciable position and increase its share of the 13% derivation from non-oil revenue if all leakages were blocked with illegal miners captured into the tax net.

    He said that the team would verify and ascertain all the mining companies, number and duration of mining leases issued to each operator, and determine means of increasing revenue generation from mining and solid mineral exploration.

    He said: “We are highly endowed with many untapped mineral resources, especially Bayelsa. But with this our exercise, I can assure you that we will put things in the right direction.

    “Bayelsa is endowed with good sand, clay and many other resources. With this our verification, many minerals will be determined.”

    In his remarks, Jonah who said the government was excited at the ongoing verification described it as a step in the right direction.

    He asked the team do a thorough job, noting that if properly conducted, the exercise would provide a viable alternative source of revenue to the state.

    He said that every state is endowed with mineral resources, adding that the current economic recession was biting harder because of a long period of overdependence on revenues accruing from the oil sector.

    He said there had been a lack of political will to explore and exploit other natural endowments, including agriculture to boost the nation’s economy.

    Assuring the team of the government’s support, Jonah urged its members to engage the appropriate government ministries, agencies, departments and other stakeholders in the exercise.

    He said: “Yes, it is true that Bayelsa State isn’t doing well in the non-oil sector. So they (RMAFC) are going to carry out an audit of what we have because some of the non-oil mineral resources they have in mind may be here and we may not be aware.
    At the federal level, the government is trying to get a consultant to work it out for the entire country.

    “I’m firmly of the belief that there is no land in Nigeria that has no minerals. It depends on how you maximise the exploitation of it. So, at the end of this exercise, this the team will tell us what we have and how we can get it out from the soil.

    “Just like the Federal Government, we also have an interest in taxes. We have a common interest, so we will certainly benefit from the exercise. But the extent of benefit is what I will not be able to define now”.

    Also, the Commissioner for Information, Mr Jonathan Obuebite, said if the team carried out their plans, it oils signal the seriousness of the Federal Government on diversification.

    He said developing other non-oil sectors would further create employment and reduce the problems of joblessness in the country.

    He said: “We are happy because the mission is to come and see the mineral resources we have in Bayelsa that can be explored to increase our revenue and contribute to national revenue.

    “If that is done it means that Nigeria is serious now to move out of total dependence on oil. We have the oil, but just like every other nations but, we should have alternative sources of revenue.

    “This, I think if properly done will lead to us having if possible 60 percent of resources from other sources to boost our economy and grow the system. Whenever a new mineral is discovered, employment is generated too. It will also address the case of unemployment”.

  • Bayelsa exco hails Dickson’s victory at Supreme Court

    Bayelsa exco hails Dickson’s victory at Supreme Court

    The Bayelsa State Executive Council, on Tuesday, hailed the victory of the state Governor, Mr Seriake Dickson and his deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (rtd) ‎at the Supreme Court.

    Other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gathered in different groups at strategic areas in Yenagoa, the state capital to celebrate the victory.

    Spokesman of the Council and Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Jonathan Obuebite in a statement entitled, ‎”Affirmation of Divine Mandate” attributed the victory to God.

    He said the unanimous judgment of the apex court was a confirmation of a divine pronouncement that “for once, the seat of power in Bayelsa will be occupied for eight years”.

    Obuebite boasted that even if elections were conducted a thousand times Dickson and Jonah would still emerge winners.

    He said: “As a council we congratulate our amiable governor and his deputy‎ for the sweet victory which although did not come to us as a surprise because we knew that with the facts before their lordships the APC had no case”.

    “What the APC and its candidate did was to waste their time and that of the judiciary. Chief Timipre Sylva knew he cannot ‎have won that case. All attempt to subvert the will of justice was to no avail”.

    ‎He also hailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and  Bayelsans who stood by the restoration government, saying “their prayers for this victory was not in vain” .

    He urged them to always support the Dickson’s administration.

    The Commissioner remarked that with all the legal hurdles crossed, the government will now be more focused to continue its mandate of quality service delivery to the people and enjoined Sylva and the APC to forget any new form of distraction.

    According to him God has chosen the duo of Dickson and Jonah to lead the state and no one can challenge such authority as the power he stressed comes from God‎ and he gives it to those he deems fit.

    ‎” We know them, those on the other side that pained and frustrated by this defeat they will regroup in one way or the other to start fresh problems but they will not succeed. Never again shall our people be subjected to pain and lack” it concluded.

  • Troops stop militants from bombing another oil installation

    Troops stop militants from bombing another oil installation

    • Kill notorious militant in Cross River

    Troops of Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (ODS), on Monday, frustrated attempts by militants to bomb another oil installation in Delta State.

    Militants have resumed blowing of oil facilities in the Niger Delta region especially in Delta State after a ceasefire, despite efforts by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to talk with stakeholders from the region.
    But troops of ODS who were combing the creeks of the state uncovered an attempt by the militants to sabotage a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) at Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.
    The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Lt. Col. Olaolu Dauda, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, described the oil facility as a wellhead at Kokori Oil Field, Oil Mining Lease (OML) 30.
    It was gathered that the militants planted their explosives on the wellhead and were preparing to blow it when they sighted the troops.
    “On sighting the troops, the militants fled the sight,” Dauda said.
    Dauda further said that troops of Sector 4 in the ongoing mop-up operations at the creeks of Southern Cross River, killed a notorious militant popularly called Okon Iyo.
    He said Iyo was gunned down when he engaged the troops in a shootout in his failed attempt to escape the creeks.
    The spokesman said the deadly militant was rounded up when the troops raided the Efig Esighi forest located at Southern Cross River.

    “Similarly, troops discovered the dead body of one of the Bakassi Strike Force militant who was earlier engaged in Efut Esighi but escaped with gun injuries. His body was seen in a bush close to the main road in Effionsa, Bakassi Local Government Area.

    “The troops also raided the compound of a suspected member of Bakassi Strike Force; Mr Otobong Sunday Essien,  at Road 27 Resettlement Center Bakassi.  A Motor Bike was recovered from his compound.
    “In addition, the troops intercepted a Passat waggon car owned by a suspected Bakassi Strike Force militant known as “G1”. He is the sentry Commander of the group”, he said.
    He added that troops patrolling Ikot Offing Ambai in Akpabuyo Local Government Area discovered two militant shrines and apprehended the chief priest of the militant group with empty box of ammunition in one the shrines at Ekpri Ebutong Estate Bakassi.

    He said: “Operation Delta Safe will continue to ensure the sanity of the Niger Delta Region as law-abiding members of the public go about their legitimate daily businesses.”