NEWS :----Army to continue to maintain ceasefire in Niger Delta

Army to continue to maintain
ceasefire in Niger Delta

– The army says it willl continue to
honour the two-week ceasefire against
the Niger Delta militants
– It vows however to use the rule of
military engagement if bombing
continues
– The militants has vowed to continue
to bomb pipelinesin he region
The Nigerian army has insisted that it will continue
to maintain the ceasefire declared by the federal
government in the spate of pipeline bombing in the
Niger Delta region.
The federal government ordered troops to withdraw
operation in the region in order to allow a dialogue
between the federal government and representatives
of the militants.
The Niger Delta Avengers, a militant group that
has claimed responsibility for series of bombing in
the region vowed not to dialogue with the federal
government and cemented this with the blowing up
of a crude oil pipeline belonging to Chevron Nigeria
Limited.
NAN however reports that Ibrahim Attahiru who is
the General Officer Commanding 82 Division of the
Nigerian Army said on Wednesday, June 8 that in
spite of the recent attack, the army will still
respect the ceasefire.
He said it was art of the decision made by Tukur
Buratai, the chief of army staff but warned that
the army will not fail to use the rule of
engagement if the militants failed to honour the
ceasefire.
“The Chief of Army Staff called a meeting
of all Principal Staff Officers and General
Officers Commanding, as well as
Directors in the Army Headquarters.
“The meeting is essentially to brief us on
the aftermath of the meeting in the
presidency and give further operational
directives on the happenings in the Niger
Delta.

I
“The two-week ceasefire was such that all
military operations in the region were
supposed to stop to enable government to
apply the non-kinetic means of reaching
out to the militants.
“Now, the militants have resorted to
continue with the attacks on pipelines, we
will tarry for a while and if this does not
stop, we will decisively act wherever it is
necessary.”
He said employing military engagement was to
preserve the unity of the country.
“The issue of applying the rules of
engagement is to emphasise our
adherence to the necessary procedures in
internal security operations,’’ he said.
Mr. Attahiru warned that the military would no
longer tolerate further attacks on its units and
formations in the Niger Delta or elsewhere in the
country.
He said: “Recently there was an attack on
Nigerian Army troops in the Niger Delta;
that will no longer be tolerated.
“Anywhere troops are attacked, formation
commanders will apply the rules of
engagement to the fullest, they will follow
the attackers to wherever they came
from.”