The talks are through oil companies and law
enforcement agencies. It is all in a bid to find
a lasting solution to attacks on oil facilities.
The attacks have brought oil production to as
low as 1.2 million barrels per day as against
an ambitious 2.2 million barrels per day plan.
The President spoke at a farewell audience
with Mr Michael Zinner, the outgoing
Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria at the
State House, Abuja, according to a statement
by presidential media adviser Femi Adesina.
Buhari said his administration was studying
the instruments of the amnesty programme
inherited from the previous administration with
a view to carrying out undelivered
commitments.
“We understand their feelings. We are
studying the instruments.
“We have to secure the environment,
otherwise investment will not come. We will
do our best for the country,’’ he affirmed.
The President expressed appreciation to the
government of Germany for its support to
Nigeria in the efforts to tackle insecurity and
the ongoing rehabilitation and resettlement of
displaced citizens in crisis areas in the
Northeast.
The president also thanked Nigeria’s
neighbours for their unflinching support in the
war against terror.
Mr. Zinner noted that bilateral relations
between Nigeria and Germany “had improved
very much in the last 12 months of this
administration”.
He expressed Germany’s readiness to assist
Nigeria in the rehabilitation of the Northeast
to help displaced persons return to their
villages.
He also expressed Germany’s eagerness to
invest in the country now that “conditions for
investment have been put in place”.
Mr. Zinner reiterated Chancellor Angela
Merkel’s invitation to Buhari to visit Germany.
Also yesterday, The Navy paraded suspects,
including two believed to be members of the
Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) in Warri.
The new Commander of the Nigerian Navy
Ship NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunve,
who paraded the suspects, said his command
had destroyed five illegal oil refining sites in
two weeks.
Besides the two suspected members of
Avengers, also paraded were four suspected
pipelines vandals, one suspected killer of a
naval rating, who was said to have been part
of several kidnap cases, and one Navy
impersonator.
Giving details of the involvement of each of
the suspects, Commodore Dzunve said the
suspects were arrested during different
operations.
On the suspected Avengers, he said they
were arrested with incriminating effects on
them.
“The person I’m pointing my walking stick at
was arrested about a week ago he’s
suspected to have taken part in the murder of
a rating sometime earlier this year. He’s also
involved in kidnapping of citizens for ransom.
“Next to him here the person to his right are
buyers of some of these illegal refined
products, they were caught when we went for
that operation last week. They are also
suspected members of the Niger Delta
Avengers.
“This one on my left here is a supplier of
equipment they use for the bombing of
pipeline, while the one on the right is the
mechanic who repairs their boats which they
use in conveying the materials whenever they
have problems. Further investigation when we
hand them over to the prosecuting authorities
will reveal the extent to which they partook in
those criminal activities,” Dzunve said.
The two Avengers suspects were identified as
Prince David Oyafogha (Avengers mechanic)
and Felix Ebiaedor (Avengers supplier) while
the suspected kidnapper was identified Ebiye
Ozano.
Ebiaedor, who was reportedly arrested with
equipment used for making explosives, like
huge amounts of batteries and cables, said he
was merely transporting the equipment to
Chief Government Ekpemupolo’s guest house
in Oporoza for some persons. He said he had
been doing this since January.
“The cables and the batteries are usually
brought down to the waterside by Akpos,
Rowland and Godbless. Whenever they bring
them like that they charter the boat and
Stanley is the name of the driver. They
started early this year, in January. Whenever
they bring them, we have a driver that take
them down to Oporoza, to the guest house.
The guest house belongs to the ex-militant
leader, Tompolo,” Ebiaedor said.
But the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) denied
that some one of its logistic suppliers was
arrested by the Navy.
The group said:”As it now, any Tom, Dick and
Harry is a suspect of the Niger Delta
Avengers. [The] Nigeria Navy has lost the
sense of professionalism.
“The Nigeria military arrested school students
in Oporoza and called them the Niger Delta
Avengers, any criminal caught is NDA, ever
their Business partners (Illegal Oil bunkers)
with which things went south are NDA.”
Thenations News
Comments