Army Vows To Crush Militants In Bakassi

The Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, has read the riot act to militants in Bakassi, Cross River State, warning them to desist from disturbing villages along the creeks of Akpabuyo and Bakassi Local Government Areas of the state.
Buratai, warned the criminal elements that the army was fully prepared to flush them out of the area, if they continued with their nefarious activities.
Residents of Akpabuyo and Bakassi Local government areas are alleged to have been living in perpetual fear due to seemingly unrestrained activities of militants who are said to have taken over the creeks of the two local government areas.
Speaking to journalists at the flag off of the "Exercise Crocodile Smile" at the Amphibious Training School of the Nigerian Army in Calabar, the army chief stated that the exercise will help in covering all the areas of the state.
"You can see the troops that just left here, they are on their way to all parts of Cross River, especially the Bakassi area where there are suspected terrorists operating there," he said.
While addressing the troops shortly after concluding a capability test and the guard of honour, at the school, Buratai commended his men for their efforts in containing all criminality that exist with the region.
He charged officers and men of the force to  continue in the maintenance of the army`s presence in all the creeks and flash points where criminal activities exist.
Buratai while in a meeting with Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, who was represented by his Deputy, Prof Ivara Esu, Buratai said the exercise was imperative in view of the challenges in the Niger Delta.
He stated that to effectively cover the area, the amphibious training and retraining was necessary, and stressed that the exercise has gone a long way to show that the military personnel were gallant in carrying out their duties.
The army boss described the cooperation of security agencies in the state as tremendous, and called on the state government to ensure continuous support.
In his reaction, the governor appreciated the armed forces for their efforts in checking criminals in the state.
Ayade, who described militants as criminals and miscreants, and appealed to the army to deal decisively with those who feel that they can break the law of the land and get away with it.
He stated that the state needed peace to attract investors, who can come and invest in the state, given the fact that the state  was not a beneficiary of crude oil money.