The Defence Headquarters on Monday said that the deployment of military personnel to Oporoza community in Delta State was to identify and apprehend members of the Niger Delta Avengers, who claimed responsibility for the recent attacks on oil and gas installations, and their sponsors.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, made this known yesterday in Abuja in response to claims that the military was in the community specifically to search for former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, alias Tompolo.
Mr. Abubakar, a Brigadier General, pointed out that the military could only be concerned about Tompolo, if he was found to be part of the Avengers.
He stated also that the military was not aware of the claim by another militant group, the Joint Niger Delta Liberation Force, JNDLF, that Tompolo, who has been declared wanted in connection with alleged multi-billion fraud, had fled to Libya to escape arrest.
Abubakar said, “We are not aware of that, I actually don’t know. We are not particularly concerned about Tompolo.
“The people we are after are those perpetrators and their sponsors. We are not after Tompolo himself; we are after the perpetrators and their sponsors. And if he is one of them, well, but we are not particular about him.
“We are after the Avengers and their sponsors. And all the measures that we are putting in place are geared towards apprehending the perpetrators, whoever they think they are. And we will not rest till we get that done.
“We are not particular about anybody. We are after the group that has been attacking oil facilities. We will be completely resolute. We will be systematic in doing that”.
The Defence spokesman, who also spoke on the threat by the JNDLF to launch missile attacks on Aso Rock Villa and other strategic places in the country, said that the military would not join issues with the militants.
According to him, the military authorities had always taken proactive measures and would not be concerned with statements being made by the groups.
“We don’t like to join issues with them. No. We have been taking proactive measures and we will continue to do that”, Abubakar said.
