ALSCON MILITARY PERSONNEL TO BE COURT-MARTIALLED

All military personnel who were on duty when militants struck at the ALSCON Township in Ikot Abasi on December 20 th last year have been ordered for court-martial.

The chief of Army staff, COAS, Lt. Gen. Abdulraman Dambazau, in company of the chief of Naval Staff, CONS, Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahin and the General officer commanding, GOC, 82 Division, Enugu, Major General M. D Isa gave the order, having been fully briefed of the ugly incident by the commanding officer, 13 Amphibious Battalion of the Nigeria Army, Ibagwa, Abak.

Lt. General Dambazau, who was in Ikot Abasi township and ALSCON factory to keep himself abreast with the situation on ground in respect of the security of the company, where the detachment of the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces were in charge was not happy at the inability of the fully armed military personnel to counter the attack on the kidnapping of ALSCON staff by the militants.

The Service Chiefs were briefed by the commanding officer of the Nigerian Army, Abak, who according to him rushed to the scene of the incident in less than 40 minutes from Ibagwa Army Barrack, through mere call only to discover to his disappointment that the company command was not in firm control of the situation as military personnel who were working under him disappeared to thin air, thereby allowing the militants broke into the ALSCON township through the estuary and had a field day.

The militants, the commanding officer of the Nigerian Army, Ibagwa, Abak, said planted a dynamite at the gate facing the estuary of the ALSCON township, which exploded without injuring any person. Later, they went back to their boat, off loaded their weapon and came back to unleash terror on the inhabitants of the ALSCON township without any resistance.

Attended by the State Deputy Governor, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, the commanding officer said information about the incursion of the militant into the ALSCON was received one hour ten minutes and that finding revealed that the security personnel even sighted the militants, but regretted that no spirited efforts were made to counter the attack.

He told the service chiefs that a probe panel set up for the ugly incident submitted its reports five days after.

The chief of Army staff, COAS, Lt General Damabazau, was taken to the scene of the incident and other places of interest along with other top brass military officers on the entourage.

At the conference Hall of the ALSCON, Lt. Gen. Dambazau, who described the December 20 incident as unfortunate, assured that everything humanly possible would be done by the federal government to guard against the re-occurrence of such ugly incident.

He pledged the resolve of the Nigerian Armed forces to deploy special security personal to ensure adequate protection of lives and property of the ALSCON.

The COAS also assured the company that the request presented before them by the management of ALSCON shall be looked into for the best to be achieved at the company.

The chief of Naval staff, Vice Admiral Ishaya Ibrahim, also pledged the total commitment of the officers and men of the Nigerian Navy towards the security of lives and property of the company advising the management of ALSCON to ensure that a large map chart of the company is developed to allow for effective security control.

The State Deputy Governor, Engr. Patrick Ekpotu, while contributing on the occasion noted with satisfaction the visit to the company by top brass military officers in the persons of the chief of Army Staff and Chief of Naval Staff, expressing optimism that with the visit, the security situation of ALSCON would be adequately taken care of.

Engr. Ekpotu, who stood in for Governor Godswill Akpabio, pledged the determination of Akwa Ibom government to continue to exercise zero tolerance in the vandalization of gas pipe lines of the ALSCON installation for a brighter future to be ensured.

The Managing Director ALSCON, Mr. Andrey Terentyev who noted that his company which offered job to 800 people mostly from Ikot Abasi, regretted that two of their staff were taken hostage by the militants who forced their way into the premises.

Mr. Terentyev noted that their investigation revealed that militants only visited the company only at the invitation of some unpatriotic staff of the company and those who were laid off, regretting that militants do not only terrorized the ALSCON but oil companies operating in the state such as Mobil.

He therefore advocated a joint security patrol by the Russians, Germans and Nigerians to guard against the reoccurrence of such ugly incident.