EPZ Ground-Breaking: Navy Warns War Mongers

The Commander Naval ship, NNS Delta, Commodore Musa Gemu, on Wednesday warned disgruntled persons along the creeks of the Niger Delta to steer clear of President Goodluck Jonathan’s visit to Ogidigben, Warri Southwest today.
Gemu urged those who are planning to take advantage of the President’s visit to foment trouble to have a rethink as his men would deal decisively with any breach of the peace.
The $16bn Export Processing Zone ground-breaking ceremony has been postponed at least five times, following warnings from ex-militants to the president to stay away from the event as a result of some unresolved community issues.
The Commander who spoke during a ‘show of force’ in preparation for the President’s visit assured the President and guests at the event of their safety during the ceremony.
During the exercise, the navy also destroyed over 260 illegal refineries containing about 5000 metric tons of stolen crude at Otegbene-Agbara, Bennet Island and Jones Creek, both in Warri South.
Commodore Gemu noted that the locations were the latest remote hideouts in the creeks where crude oil thieves carry out the refining processes before being taken to their various markets.
He added that the renewed commitments of the navy to combating the illicit oil trade was in line with the zero tolerance of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin to the issue of illegal bunkering activities and pipeline vandalism along the waterways.
‘’We are particularly concerned that in spite of what the federal government, NNPC, NDDC, and DESOPADEC had done and still doing to alleviate the poverty in this region through youth empowerment, job creation and educational uplifting, some people are
just not satisfied. They take to criminal activities as if it’s a way of life and that’s the more reason they indulge themselves in all sorts of criminality along the creeks.

‘’ They have polluted the waters in the various communities along these creeks as a result of spills from the damaged pipelines points from where they steal the crude. Now, how do indigenes of these communities cope? ‘’, he queried

Gemu added that his men would continue to fight the vice in the waterways of the Niger Delta and warned all those in the illegal business to desist henceforth.