Nigerian military got the backing of the House of Representatives to extend military action to other parts of the troubled Niger Delta region, in a tension soaked debate which lasted for over three hours of muscle flexing.

Specifically, the Joint Task Force was enjoined to extend action to Rivers and Bayelsa states, so as to complete the routing of any militancy.

Temper rose to a boiling point when a member, Hon. Bala Ibn Na’Allah from Kebbi State argued that noting was wrong in sacrificing 20 million people to protect over 100 million people, although he later withdrew the statement.
Speaker Dimeji Bankole had toughest time moderating the debate on Hon. Halims Agoda motion over the raging military action in the Niger Delta.

He, however, expressed optimism that the military was capable of carrying out its assignment with the utmost responsibility as pledged by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Paul Dike and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, who incidentally are all indigenes of the troubled region.

Giving the assurance after the House had taken the decision, urging the Joint Task Force to extend its operations to Rivers and Bayesla, Bankole said Nigerians have nothing to be scared of when it comes to securing the lives of people in the region since the Nigerian military is the most experienced in handling ‘such jobs’.

“Let me assure Nigerians watching at home that the Nigerian military is the most experienced in the world and when it comes to this kind of job. The House also appealed to the militants to drop their arms in line with the presidential amnesty even as it commiserated with families of both military and civilian personnel who lost their lives in the attack.

“In the last five years, the Nigerian military has undertaken peacekeeping with over 2000 men, which is the highest in the world. And today, the highest military officer is from the Niger Delta; the highest police officer is from the Niger Delta. So, I have no doubt in my mind that they will take up this assignment with the highest sense of responsibility,” he stated after the tension soaked debate.

Moving the motion, Hon. Agoda drew the attention of the House to the raging military action in the Niger Delta and the accompanying mass displacement of women, children, now rendered homeless without food and access to medical care.

He expressed worry that the genuine agitation of people of Niger Delta had been hijacked and taken a dangerous turn, hence there was need for both the Nigerian military and the militants to sheathe their swords to give room for a peaceful resolution of the crisis.
Hon. Terngu Tsegba [PDP], Benue noted that the military action in the region was the best approach to curbing criminality, adding that while the House sympathized with innocent casualties, he added that the government cannot just sit and allow crime to overtake the state.

“While we sympathize with the casualties, we can’t allow criminals to take over. No country in the world would surrender its security to charlatans. Militancy today is a criminal issue. What is happening now is who has money to hire who. I don’t even believe that all the militants are from the Niger Delta.
“So, if the military is living up to its responsibilities, we should support them. We must encourage the militants to put down their arms and take advantage of the amnesty given to them by Mr. President,” he stated.
Supporting the military action, Hon. Umar Bature [PDP], Sokoto said the military action is a constitutional duty of the president enshrined in section 217(A,B,C,D].

Leader of the Minority in the House, Hon Mohammed Ali Ndume, urged the Federal Government to extend the military action to Bayelsa, Rivers and other states where the militants may run to for cover after fleeing from the places currently being attacked.

However, members representing states from the region disagreed with the military option, pointing to its attendant effects on innocent citizens.
Hon Deami Akpanah [PDP] Rivers queried how a bomb would identify who is guilty and who is not when it is about to cause destruction.
His words: “When you throw a bomb into a community, are you sure that the people you are killing are the people you intended to kill? It does not know who is a militant and who is a civilian, so definitely, it is not the best approach.”

Hon. Igo Aguma, another PDP member from Rivers State continued to shout from his seat to protest his colleagues’ support for the extension of military action to other states.
Hon. Sekonte Davies from Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers State in a press statement shortly after the plenary said military action would never solve the problems of the Niger Delta.
He decried criminality in agitating for better conditions of living, but warned that bombing of villages in search of militants would only make matters worse.
Since the renewed hostility, Sekonte asked the Nigerian military to show one militant that was killed like it was done in other parts of the world, where government forces are wagging war against insurgency.