The Defence Headquarters has scrapped the Joint
Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo
Shield, as part of the efforts to ensure better
protection of oil pipelines and curtail insecurity in
the Niger Delta.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.
Gen.Rabe Abubakar, said in a statement on
Wednesday that Operation Pulo Shield was replaced
with Operation Delta Safe.
Abubakar said that the decision was taken in line
with the directive of the Defence Headquarters for
enhanced efficiency and effectiveness against
insecurity and the protection of the nation’s
pipelines in the Niger Delta.
He said that the new task force with headquarters in
Yenagoa had three sectors and five operational
bases covering the entire Niger Delta, Ondo and
Akwa Ibom States.
“The Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta has
been scrapped with immediate effect and replaced
with Operation Delta Safe.
“This is in line with the Defence Headquarters
initiative to restructure the Joint Task Force for
better service delivery, efficiency and effectiveness
in line with the vision and mission of the Chief of
Defence Staff to contain the current security
challenges in the Niger Delta especially protection
of critical national assets and provision of security
in the area.
“Under this arrangement, the Joint Operational Areas
of the new outfit have been delineated into three
sectors and five Operational Bases covering the
entire Niger Delta, Ondo and Akwa Ibom States. The
Headquarters of Operation Delta Safe would be in
Yenagoa.
“This development, according to Chief of Defence
Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin becomes expedient
in order to inject new tactics and robust operational
initiative to tackle the emerging security challenges
in the Niger Delta region such as piracy, bunkering,
vandalism and other criminalities prevalent in the
area.” The statement read.
