NAIJA HITS ONLINE (naijahits.com.ng)

A group of militants in the Niger Delta have threatened to cripple crude oil production in the country. There has been relative calm in the oil rich region, following the peace moves initiated by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo. As the Acting President, Osinbajo met with stakeholders in various oil producing states and assured them of the Federal Government’s desire to meet their demands. According to Daily Post, the militants made the declaration following reports that President Buhari asked the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim to focus on developing the northern region of Nigeria. The militants also condemned the Army exercise code named: Operation Crocodile Smile in the Niger Delta. A statement issued by the group reads: “The current revelation of the World Bank and the present NNPC scandal has given us no choice but to activate our digital strike team to swing into action to stop further exploration and exportation of oil from the Niger Delta. “For it is very o

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, on Sunday, paid condolence visit to the family of late Gen. Victor Malu, former chief of army staff who died on Oct. 9. Buratai, who was accompanied by Principal Staff Officers at the Army Headquarters, was received by the widow and children of the late general at his residence in Maitama, Abuja. The army chief chief prayed to Almighty God to grant the soul of late Malu eternal rest, as well as grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss. Thereafter, Buratai signed the condolence register and wrote: “It is with heavy heart but with gratitude to Almighty God that I, on behalf of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, condole with the family of my predecessor who passed away to the great beyond. “May his gentle soul rest in perfect peace. “May Almighty God grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss, amen.’’ Malu died in a hospital in Cairo, Egypt. He was Chief of Army Staff between 1999 and 2001. ------------

The Nigerian Army says it has deployed troops for the commencement of “Operation Crocodile Smile”  in the six Niger Delta states. Maj.-Gen. Enobong Udoh, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said this on Saturday while addressing troops to signal commencement of the exercise. Udoh said the operation was confidence building patrol rather than a show of force as widely reported. “Operation Crocodile Smile is not a show of force but a confidence-building patrol that seeks to reassure the people of Rivers state and the Niger Delta that the army is ready to work. “We are ready to work in close synergy and collaboration with other security services and agencies of government to ensure that there is peace and security for the people. “Our operation aims to reassure the public that we are ready to fight crimes like cultism, militancy, and kidnapping so that people can go about their business without fear,” he said. Udoh said that troops would