The Federal Government has ordered the immediate withdrawal of troops from communities in the Niger Delta region as part of the ongoing peace talks with Niger Delta Avengers and other stakeholders.
The Niger Delta Avengers had in recent weeks blown up pipelines and other infrastructure in the region, cutting the country’s oil supply significantly.
The government said on Tuesday that it was withdrawing troops immediately from communities in the region while soldiers will continue to patrol the waterways.
The decision was taken at a meeting between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Niger Delta governors, some ministers and service chiefs.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, had on Monday announced that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed a two-week cessation of military offensive in the region, to facilitate dialogue between government and the militants.
Speaking to State House correspondents after Tuesday’s meeting, Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, said, aside the decision to withdraw troops, it was agreed that both Federal Government and the states need to build synergy, in the process of stopping the activities of the militants.
“We have also agreed that there is a need to distill military operations directly in communities, but the military need to actually remain on our waterways to ensure that we adequately man the waterways itself while we engage the communities and that engagement process is starting any moment from now.
“We have taken a lot of decisions which will help us mitigate what is going on currently in the states particularly Bayelsa and Delta.
“One of such is that there is a need for us to share intelligence which is very important and for us to be proactive, working together with the various stakeholders in the states to achieve a better result
going forward,” he said.
Others at the meeting include the governors of Edo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Ondo and Rivers State. The deputy governor of Cross River State also attended the meeting.
All service chiefs, ministers of Niger Delta, Petroleum (state) and Defence were also in attendance.
