There are strong indications that the Defence authorities will withdraw some war-tested soldiers from the North-East and deploy them in the Niger Delta as part of efforts to curb the attacks on oil installations in the region.
It was gathered on Sunday that the troops would form part of the newly formed Operation Delta Safe, which was formed to replace the defunct Operation Pulo Shield in the oil rich region.
The source was, however, not specific on when the troops would be deployed in the Niger Delta for the intensified campaign against pipeline attacks and oil theft.
The Defence headquarters had scrapped the Operation Pulo Shield and replaced it with Operation Delta Safe, which was designed to ensure security and protection of oil installations in the Niger Delta.
The new Task Force, with its operational headquarters in Yenagoa, is designed to have three sectors and five operational bases to cover the entire Niger Delta.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, said the military authorities would ensure effective equipment for the new task force to enable it to achieve the purpose for which it was established.
Although Abubakar neither confirmed nor denied the planned deployment of troops, he explained that the “reorganisation of the task force” was in the interest of the country and would have the best arsenal and equipment.
He said, “The overhauling was meant to ensure pro-activeness of the new outfit. We will, as much as possible, continue to inject new system, new equipment and new prescriptions to ensure that what happened before will not happen now.
“And so, the Defence Headquarters came up with the reorganisation, and it meant well for the country and it meant well for the industries there. So we are doing all these things to ensure that we do our best, with the best arsenal, with the best equipment, so that we can handle the security threat.
“But injecting new men or injecting more men is not the issue. The most important is that the reorganisation has been done and it is for the goodness of country, for the good of that general area.
“And we will do everything to secure all necessary spots, human, equipment and what have you to ensure that it performs optimally.”
