The Nigerian Army says its field training exercise Operation Crocodile Smile III, which covers Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers states, has continued to record more successes since its inception on October 22, 2018.

In a statement on Friday, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, outlined the feats the exercise has recorded so far by the participating troops.

He revealed that troops of 6 Division Garrison working on timely and actionable intelligence arrested a notorious criminal suspect, Ernest Ibekwe Alias “Tallest”, on Tuesday in Rivers State.

The suspect, he said, has been on the Nigeria Police Force wanted list in connection to kidnappings and armed robbery operations along the East-West Road.

He added that troops located and destroyed four illegal bunkering camps with five ground reservoirs and 25 storage tanks containing stolen crude oil also on Tuesday.

According to Ilyiasu, the success was recorded during an anti-illegal oil bunkering operations conducted by troops of 16 Brigade at Ijawkiri and Sangasangabio creeks.

He said the troops also foiled an attempt to sabotage oil production by miscreants who intended to set fire to Riser 01 at Gbaraun in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

In Delta State, troops arrested two suspected drug peddlers, Nduka Ozigbundu and Mofi Ndubuisi, with large quantities of substances believed to be cannabis and other hard drugs on Tuesday along Cable Roundabout in Asaba.

“Suspects were handed over to the State National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for prosecution. In continuation of their aggressive patrol of the creeks, the troops also located and destroyed 15 Cotonou boats, five pumping machines, 17 rubber hoses, 30 iron pipes, two (8 HP) outboard engines and four dug out pits at Otumara and Ugboegugun in Warri South/West LGA Delta State,” the statement read.

The colonel further highlighted some of the activities of Operation Crocodile Smile III in the civil-military exercise which held between October 25 and November 2.

He said the Army presented relief materials to flood victims at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Bayelsa and Delta states on October 31 and November 2 respectively.

Ilyiasu said thousands of flood victims benefitted from the humanitarian gesture.

He noted that troops of 6 Division would remain resolute in clamping down on all criminals and criminal activities within the area of responsibility of the Division, to pave way for legitimate businesses and peaceful coexistence of the people of the Niger Delta.

•Sourced from a Channels TV report

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