Authorities of the Nigerian Navy have vowed they would continue the deployment of Gunboats and Special Boat Service troops on patrol of the creeks and waterways of Ogbe-Ijow and Aladja to ensure protection of strategic assets from oil thievery and vandalization.
Aside the protection of assets, top security sources have disclosed that the Navy was in possession of intelligence material showing plans by the communities to continue skirmishes using the creeks and waterways, which will not only lead to humanitarian crisis but put assets at risk.
Speaking on the development, Commanding Officer, NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu used the opportunity to clarify allegations that his men attacked people of Igbe-Ijow and destroyed their shrine.
His words, “My advice to both communities is to keep the peace and co-exist as Delta people and great Nigerians.
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“One of the communities should stop lying against the Navy. They want us to leave the strategic creeks around the Ogbe-Ijow/Aladja axis so that they can continue to fight.
“For a long time, Delta State government deployed the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Navy, the NAF and the Police to keep peace and maintain law and order.
“The Nigerian Navy would continue to patrol and secure the waterways in Delta.
“There is a committee set up by the government of delta state to find a lasting solution to the crisis. Both communities are represented and they should key into the agenda to resolve the issue
Regarding the shrine, Commodore Dewu said, “My men were inside their boats conducting their professional and assigned tasks throughout the patrol. For you to destroy a shrine, you must go ashore.
“We respect all places of worship. We would not allow room for perpetration of violence. We would not be deterred from performing our duty professionally.
Meanwhile, naval gunboats and special inshore patrol crafts deployed with SBS troops aboard have continued to patrol the creeks and waterways in the axis to ward of any skirmishes.
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