Daniel Ezekiel, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Security to Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has appealed to Nigerian Navy Ship, ‘NNS DELTA’ in Warri to ensure there is no hiding place for pirates terrorising the Burutu waterways and raiding various communities in the area.
Ezekiel, who spoke through a statement made available to NEXT EDITION on Monday, maintained that the marauding pirates had been making life very difficult for the riverine dwellers in the state, even as he appealed to the Nigerian Navy not only to chase them out of the state, but spread their networks to other states in the Niger Delta to stamp out their acts of criminality.
According to the statement, Ezekiel paid a courtesy visit to the headquarters of NNS DELTA in Warri, during which he expressed worry over the spate of insecurity that had recently engulfed the Ekogbene, Bulou Tebegbe, Ndoro, Ojobo and other settlements that stretch from Burutu Local Government Area of Delta state to Bayelsa State.
Ezekiel stated that people in the riverine communities had been suffering various devastation caused by criminal elements, who seemed to have completely taken possession of the area, raping and molesting women at will.
He stressed: “People are robbed on their way from market, while engines of speed boats and other valuables are taken away,” adding that Governor Okowa, had been worried over the situation, even as he pleaded with the Navy to restore peace in the area within the yuletide.
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Ezekiel commended security agencies for putting machinery in motion to secure lives and properties of Deltans, which he said had been a cardinal objective of the Okowa administration.
Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dewu, Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA, commended Ezekiel for creating time to come to for consultations, a development, he stressed, was rare in the past, declaring that they would continue to partner with his office in ensuring a peaceful and stronger Delta, which was in line with the administration’s agenda.
Admiral Dewu stated that the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with other security agencies, had been on top of the situation in Burutu Local Government, admitting that there were actually security threats in the area, adding that his men had been dealing with such.
He revealed that there was already a manhunt for the criminals that had recently made the waterways insecure, maintaining that some of the suspects had been apprehended by NNS DELTA and had since been handed over to the appropriate law enforcement agency for prosecution.
He said while there was a serious man hunt for the alleged leader of the gang terrorising the area, there was also a security arrangement to dislodge any criminal camp found in the area and beyond.
Dewu, however, assured Deltans, particularly those in riverine communities, that insecurity in the waterways would soon be a thing of the past, as they were tracking the criminals in the area, especially the gang leaders.
