By Victor Akaa.
The Commander 16 Brigade Garrison, Lieutenant Colonel MS Kaigama, says the relentless crackdown on bunkering activities by the troops of 16 Brigade Garrison under the auspices of 16 Brigade the Joint Task Force South South Operation DELTA SAFE (JTF OPDS) in the Niger Delta have left thieves on their toes.
Lieutenant Colonel Kaigama disclosed this when a team of Defence correspondents on Tuesday visited a bunkering site at abandoned Old Agip oil well head at Adibawa Well 8 in Edagberi community of Rivers State.
The Defence Correspondents recently embarked on a Defence Media Operations tour to the Joint Task Force South South Operation Delta Safe Area of Responsibility, to gain a firsthand insight into the military’s efforts to combat bunkering and other related criminalities in the region.
Lieutenant Colonel Kaigama explained that, “Before now, there were a lot of bunkering activities in this general area. But we were able to constantly visit this place and make sure that there was no bunkery activities for some time.”
During the visit, the team witnessed the challenging terrain that troops navigate to access bunkering hotspots. Lieutenant Colonel Kaigama highlighted the difficulties, stating, “You could see the way we followed, it was a very difficult terrain to get here. But I can tell you that this is one of the easiest places that we could access.”
Enugu Reporters gathered that as the troops and media team approached the abandoned Agip Oil wellhead, the bunkers fled in haste, abandoning some of their tools. The troops subsequently destroyed their tanks.
The Commander further stated that the military’s efforts have yielded results, with troops discovering abandoned equipment and personal belongings, including drums and shoes. “You could see somebody’s shoe because possibly he saw us, abandon the shoe and run away.”
Lieutenant Colonel Kaigama also emphasised that the military’s presence in the area is ongoing, with troops committed to frustrating the bunkering activities.
“We continue to come here and we frustrate them. This is not the only place. There are so many other places like this that we have been going to make sure that the bunkering activities are not taking place.” He stated.
The team, alongside troops, traversed numerous challenging terrains, including winding creeks and dense forests, to reach the location, witnessing the destruction of multiple bunkering sites along the way.
