The former gubernatorial candidate in Bayelsa State for the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva, condemned Monday’s killing of three Nigerian soldiers in Nembe by suspected militants.
SaharaReporters reported earlier that an attack by suspected militants left three members of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta region dead. The JTF members were killed at their post by the suspected militants and who then stole gunboats belonging to the officers.
Mr. Sylva, who was represented by his spokesperson, Doifie Buokoribo, said that those behind the act are enemies of the people. He advised residents of Nembe and its environs to be vigilant and work closely with security agencies to isolate and frustrate the efforts of the perpetrators of violence in the region.
The statement read, “The killing of the soldiers is a grievous crime that cannot be excused on any ground. It is a legal and cultural abomination, which goes against everything the people of Nembe and neighbouring communities believe in. Those who committed this sacrilege are only out to set up our communities for destruction. They should be fished out and made to face the law.
“We must work with the security agencies to isolate and frustrate the machinations of those who would want to make our communities a fertile ground for violence and underdevelopment.
“As I have always said, the solution to the problems in the Niger Delta does not lie in violence; it lies in constructive engagement and dialogue. We have come a long way on the path of peaceful solution to our problems. And President Muhammadu Buhari has shown unprecedented commitment to the peaceful resolution of all problems in the Niger Delta and development of the region. We cannot at this point begin to roll back the frontiers of peace and development. We cannot afford to return to violence as a means of agitation.”
