The Nigerian army has said it will take strict measures against the pro-Biafran Militants threatening the peace with the southsouth and southeast region of the country.
According to the Defence Headquarters, the pro-Biafran militants who allegedly hijacked a merchant vessel off the coast of Nigeria on Friday, January 29, would be made to face the wrath which is meted-out to criminal and saboteurs.
Defence sources, who claimed knowledge of the hijacking on Tuesday, February 2, explained that the operatives of the Nigerian Navy were on the trail of the captured vessel and the hijackers.
The Punch reports that one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the hijackers had threatened to blow up the ship and its crew members if the government refused to release Kanu, who is currently being detained and undergoing prosecution for treasonable felony, after 31 days.
The director of fefence information, Brig Gen Rabe Abubakar who confirmed the hijack, threatened that the military would deal decisively with those he called criminals and saboteurs.
He said the vessel, named MT LEON DIAS, was hijacked outside Nigeria’s territorial waters about 7.5 nautical miles off the Port of Cotonou, adding that the vessel was under the watch of the Navy of Benin Republic.
Abubakar said: “Well, I can confirm to you that a vessel, a tanker with the name MT LEON DIAS with number 9279927, was hijacked 7.5 nautical miles off Cotonou port. The ship is presently in Benin Republic. It is a merchant ship.
“I must add that on this issue of militancy, there are no more militants now, what we have are criminals. The Amnesty programme has taken care of the militants.
“The military will treat those behind such acts as criminal and saboteurs; the law will take its course; the security agencies will do their job.
“The country’s interest is above any other person’s interest. We have to work towards the enthronement of peace and stability because development can only take place in an atmosphere of peace.”
The spokesman for the Defence, said the military would treat those behind such crimes in the nation’s maritime domain as criminals and saboteurs.
Abubakar admitted that there “were some sort of threats,” but he was not specific on the 31-day ultimatum issued by the hijackers.
A Bulgarian-based Maritime News had said: “The group boarded the tanker from two fast boats and took control of the vessel and locked the crew in the mess room before heading for the Niger Delta,” reports AP.
A factional leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State of Biafra, Uchenna Madu, had also explained that the said ‘General Ben’ was one of the Niger Delta militants, who had volunteered to join forces with the secessionists groups.
“Ben is not a separatist but some Niger Delta militants have shown interest in working with us,” said Madu.
The hijacked ship is believed to be an oil tanker, some maritime industry sources claimed that the vessel was an oil tanker seized about 160 kilometres off the Bakassi Peninsula.
In the same vein, the Nigerian military has recorded yet another victory over the dreaded Boko Haram sect. According to Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, the director of public relations and information, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), was responsible for the recent success against the insurgents after one of their logistics base was destroyed by NAF drones.
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