[allAfrica.com] FG Strengthens Joint Military Task Force Leadership (Abuja) NEWS 23 April 2008 Posted to the web 23 April 2008 By Ese Awhotu Niger Delta President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has directed that the Joint Task Force currently helping in the security of the volatile Niger Delta region be strengthened with a view to repositioning it to meet the growing security demands of the region. LEADERSHIP gathered authoritatively that the strengthening of the JTF would involve the deployment of more military personnel with international expertise to the region and collaboration with the international marine force. It would be recalled that the president had recently approved the use of the International Marine Force in monitoring and securing the nation's oil pipelines. The fears expressed by Yar'Adua for opting for the use of international forces, according to LEADERSHIP sources, is that the militants have access to sophisticated arms and fund which may make it difficult for the Nigerian government alone to handle the situation. This is coupled with the fact that the international community are stakeholders in the Niger Delta. Saboteurs in the region no doubt have rekindled the president's fears with the recent attacks on Shell pipelines. Royal Dutch Shell Plc yesterday said it has lost an output of 169,000 barrels per day following the militants' attacks on its major supply pipelines in the Niger Delta. Shell spokesman, Precious Okolobo, who disclosed this to newsmen, said the loss in production was as a result of an attack with explosives on a pipeline feeding the Bonny exports terminal and two other attacks on the Soku-Buguma and Buguma-Alakiri pipelines which occurred on Monday. Okolobo, however, said the damages to the pipelines will be fixed as soon as the extent of damage to the pipelines is determined. The attacks on Shell's pipelines, no doubt, have a huge economic implication for Nigeria, as Shell is the oldest and largest oil operator in the country. Available statistics show that the oil giant accounts for almost half of the entire daily oil production. The militants, knowing the strategic importance of Shell's operations to the nation, have targeted its major pipelines. Though the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is widely reported to have claimed responsibility for the attacks, the security authorities, the Nigerian Police Force and the JTF are yet to make any pronouncement on the recent attacks. However, Shell said on Monday that it might not be able to honour contracts for April and May as a result of the attacks on its pipelines. There are indications that the Royal Dutch Shell may declare force majeure on Bonny Terminal liftings for April and May 2008. Bonny, along with the terminal at Forcados east, are Shell's most important installations in Nigeria. ======================================================================================== Copyright © 2008 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). ======================================================================================== [images//media.fastclick.net/w/ get.media?sid=7943&m=1&tp=1&d=s&c=1&f=b&v=1.4]