By Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Navy has declared Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) ‘a terrorist group’ and has vowed
to rout the militant group before it destroys the region and hurt the country’s economy.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibot Ette Ibas made the vow when he spoke with Daily Sun
on board NNS CENTENARY during a multinational naval manoeuvre to mark the 60th anniver- sary of the navy’s military force tasked with the protection of the country’s oil facilities.
“Any group of individuals or persons who arrogate to themselves, the right to use force, should
be classified as terrorists.
“They have no right to destroy what belongs to everyone and, it is the duty of the navy to be able
to rise up against such individuals. “The navy is mandated to take on such individual
or group of persons. It does not serve them any good, destroying what will bring prosperity to
them.
“I have always maintained that people who take such posture against the state might just best
be described as terrorists and dealt with accordingly.
“For now, we will ensure we get them out of our way and the way of progress of the nation.”
He said the navy is doing its best to ensure the country’s oil facilities are protected and other vices at sea eliminated and added, “we still require much more from government to enable us do better.
“We need more assets, we have big expanse of maritime space that needs to be covered.
“We have the back waters as well, where the new, emerging threats are coming from and we need
vessels to be able to cover these areas.
“The armed forces of any nation are trained to take on such threats, and the navy is also trained to
take on enemies of Nigeria. For now, I think the NDA are enemies of Nigeria.
“So, at the appropriate time, we will take them out.”
He spoke in the wake of the declaration of war on NDA and other criminal elements within the
country by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Defence
Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin.