The Operation Pulo Shield in the Niger Delta region has been scrapped with immediate effect and replaced with Operation Delta Safe, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said.

This is in line with its initiative to restructure the Joint Task Force for better service delivery, efficiency and effectiveness in line with the vision and mission of the Chief of Defence Staff to contain the current security challenges in the Niger Delta region especially, protection of critical national assets and provision of security in the area.

The DHQ in a statement issued Wednesday in Maiduguri and signed by Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said that “Under this arrangement, the Joint Operational Areas of the new outfit have been delineated into three sectors and five Operational Bases covering the entire Niger Delta. The Headquarters of Operation Delta Safe would be in Yenagoa.”

The statement quotes the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, as saying that “this development becomes expedient in order to inject new tactics and robust operational initiative to tackle the emerging security challenges in the Niger Delta region such as piracy, bunkering, vandalism and other criminalities prevalent in the area.”

•Photo shows Operation Pulo Shied Commander, Maj Gen Alani Okunlola.