From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called for concerted efforts and support for the military and other security agencies to bring the killers of 17 soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State to justice.
Governor Diri assured Bayelsans, especially the people of Igbomotoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, of their safety in the midst of military operations going on in the area.
The governor, in another statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah, yesterday, again, strongly condemned the killings and expressed his deep condolences and that of the Bayelsa State Government to the families of the slain military personnel, the wider Armed Forces family and the army in particular.
He said no effort should be spared to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to book for their heinous crime. He noted that being a proud host to the headquarters of the joint task force, Operation Delta Safe (OPDS), the Central Naval Command, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Mobility Command and the Nigerian Army 16 Brigade, Bayelsans are understandably outraged at the heinous attack on the military personnel that are cherished members of the communities they are located and the state.
Diri said the government would continue to support the military and other law enforcement institutions in their mission in the state.
The governor consequently directed all the security commanders in the state as well as the coordinator of the Bayelsa Community Safety Corps, Brig-General Eric Angaye (retd), to scale up surveillance and patrol of the state’s borders and the waterways.
He said: “The killing of our soldiers is barbaric, satanic and outrightly criminal. And anyone involved should be seen and treated as a criminal under our laws.”