From today's Vanguard newspaper
Militants threaten to shoot down aircraft
FROM its new base, christened “Israel Barracks”, some kilometers away from the Atlantic Ocean in the southern coast of Niger-Delta, the Niger-Delta Liberation Force, NDLF, led by rebel ex-militant leader, “General” John Togo, Tuesday, threatened to down any aircraft, belonging to the military, oil companies and commercial airlines that fly between two to three miles, near its barracks on spy mission.
Its words, “We will not spare any aircraft bomber that passes our boundary in the air as our Rocket Propellers Gun Unit (RPGU) shall launch attack on any aircraft found in our barracks with a sinister move. This is not a mere warning as we shall make effective use of the RPGS at our disposal to repel any air bomber”.
Spokesman of the NDLF, which detonated explosives to destroy its camp in Ayakuromo axis of Delta State, last Thursday, and re-located deeper into the creek after a bloody gun battle with men of the Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta, November 17, “Captain” Mark Anthony, confirmed the information when contacted by Vanguard.
The group also warned commercial airline operators and oil companies not to give their aircrafts to the JTF for such a mission, as anyone used for the purpose would be destroyed.
Commander of the Joint Task Force, JTF, on the Niger-Delta, Major-General Charles Omoregie was said to be holding a conference when Vanguard called him on phone for comments, while the spokesman of the task force, Lt. Col. Anthony Antigha said he was away, and so, was not in the position to speak on the current state of operation.
However, the siege by the task force on the waterways of the state, particularly at Okwagbe, where its men are stationed with gunboats and major exit routes in Burutu and Bomadi local government areas has not been relaxed.
It is suspected the inability of the task force to smoke out John Togo, who is suspected to be hiding somewhere in the creek, one week after the bloody battle between his fighters and soldiers, may have forced security agents to use aircrafts to rummage around the creeks for him.
According to NDLF spokesman, “We have observed, in the last two days, an awkward locomotion of a military aircraft, hovering around the vicinity of riverine Ijaw communities in Delta and Bayelsa states , suspected to be on JTF genocidal mission in the ongoing onslaught on suspected Niger Delta freedom fighters”.