ABUJA — Apparently angered by the activities of criminals, who are currently bombing strategic national oil facilities, the federal government may deploy its fighter jets and troops to flush out the malevolent elements. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Mshl Sadique Abubakar inspecting the newly weaponized NAF alpha jet after test. This came on a day three Niger Delta militant groups, in solidarity with the Niger Delta Avengers, NDA, declared their support for the move by monarchs and leaders in the region to form a pan-Niger Delta group, comprising all the ethnic nationalities in the coastal states. This is to enable the region negotiate with the Federal Government on way out of the current crisis. The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, confirmed at a media briefing in Abuja, yesterday, that the jets might move in soon but did not give a specific date and the number of troops to be mobilized for the crucial assignment. There were conflicting declarations by the Niger Delta Avengers, who have been bombing oil assets in the area and several militant groups over further destruction of oil facilities. While the NDA said it would stop further bombings, two other militant groups vowed to destroy more oil platforms in the region until the federal government met their demands. But at the media briefing, the CAS explained that the mission of the NAF was to preserve Nigeria’s sovereignty and protect lives and property in the Niger Delta. Abubakar said: “Our mandate is to protect the sovereignty of Nigeria. What we are doing is to protect oil infrastructure and the community. “We are not going into the Niger Delta to fight militants or anybody, but to protect oil facilities and the people as guaranteed by the constitution of Nigeria,” the NAF boss declared. Abubakar also spoke on effort by the Federal Government to rescue the Chibok girls, saying the government was more concerned than anybody else about locating and freeing the abducted students. He said it was all in a bid to salvage the girls and other Nigerians seized by the Boko Haram terrorists that the NAF has continued daily missions over the 60,000-square metre Sambisa forest. According to him, NAF is dedicated to identifying the possible locations of the missing girls and rescuing them. Responding to a recent video clip by Boko Haram, accusing the NAF of bombing the Chibok girls to death, Abubakar described such claim as sheer sentiments by the terrorists in an apparent bid to earn the support of the gullible. “These guys are just trying to whip up sentiments. No NAF aircraft bombed any Chibok girl or any Nigerian we are trying to rescue from the hands of the terrorists.
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