By KINGSLEY OMONOBI
To hundreds of ex-militants and their various ‘Generals’, many of whom have repented and are currently enjoying the dividends of the federal government amnesty programme by virtue of their skilled trainings abroad or elsewhere, Major General Sarki Yakin Bello, former Commander of the Joint Task Force for Niger Delta, code named ‘Operation Restore Hope’ and currently the General Officer Commanding 82 division of the Nigeria Army, will forever remain green in their memory.

For ex-militant leaders like Government Tompolo and his headquarters in Camp 5 inside the deadly creeks off Warri where Gen. Bello who once vowed to capture Tompolo dead or alive, chased him to, before taking over the camp, the fear of General Bello at the height of the so called ‘oil wars’ was the beginning of wisdom.

General Bello was so feared that scores of militants who engaged in illegal oil bunkering, hostage taking, sea piracy and ‘closing of rivers’, relocated from the creeks to such towns as Benin City, Ughelli, Kwale and Koko among towns in the Niger Delta to escape his onslaught.

Under his command, the Nigeria Air Force helicopter gunship, the Mi 35, raided several militants’ camps from the air while Navyal officers and amphibious soldiers raided these camps from the sea and land. As he prepared to bring down and level these hideouts of militants from the face of the earth, however, the government of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua bought the idea of amnesty programme originated by former Inspector General of Police, Mike Okiro and crafted by the former Chief of Defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Paul Dike. Dike’s insistence that the programme will work despite opposition by powerful forces in government at the time and his ability to convince former President Yar’Adua that Nigeria had the capacity to see it through, especially with the caging of the militants by General Bello led JTF, finally encouraged the former president to proclaim the amnesty programme.

Major General Sarki Yakin Bello (L) rewarded by Vice President Namadi Sambo

Having seen that the amnesty programme was working wonders and the challenge of the militants had been whittled down in the Niger Delta while a new and dangerous menace was taking over in the new phenomenon called kidnapping in the South East and some parts of the Niger Delta, the Army authorities under the leadership of Lt. General Onyeabor Azubuike Ihejirika, decided to expand the area of responsibility of Major General Bello by elevating him to the position of General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Enugu.

Shortly after his assumption as GOC, Bello set up a special anti-kidnapping task force which raided and overpowered kidnapping kingpins in the jungles of Abia, Anambra and Imo states, whiping out their camps and rescuing many victims, including women, young girls, the elderly and children.

So, when at this year’s Nigeria Army Day Celebration which took place at the Uyo Township stadium, Major General Sarki Yakin Bello was announced as a recipient of the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Award for 2011, the crowd of spectators, the armed forces, the indigenes of Niger Delta who had trooped out to witness the army state of the art equipment on display, shouted in unison, their approval of the decision.

The general, to many, was being rewarded for his bravery, ability to lead officers and soldiers through risky landscape of aggression against the nation and came out victorious. He was presented with the award by Vice President Namadi Sambo who represented President Goodluck Jonathan at the occasion.

Described as a no-nonsense officer by the COAS, the GOC 82 division of the Army is credited with the feat of rescuing the 15 tender school children abducted by kidnappers for days in the Eastern forests that attracted local and international condemnations.

Before then, General Bello who planned and executed the destruction and capture of such notorious camps as Camp Iroko and Camp 5 belonging to General Tompolo on May 15th 2009, helped to ensure the construction of a very important economic asset, dredging of River Niger from Port Harcourt to Onitsha by providing security for the 5.5kilometer Maritime convoy for the movement of heavy and other equipment used in the dredging.

Expatiating on the operation that led to the rescue of the 15 little children in particular, Assistant Director, Public relations, 82 division of the Nigeria Army, Lt. Colonel Musa Sagir said, “As GOC whose area of responsibility covers the East, Gen. Bello came up with ‘Operation Jubilee’ aimed specifically at wiping out kidnapping menace. It was Operation Jubilee that rescued the 15 school children and NYSC members as well as many others that were kidnapped at various times in Abia state”.

“He successfully eliminated the notorious kidnapper, Osisikankwu, the notorious kidnapping kingpin, destroying all his camps, and stemming the tide of organized kidnapping in the South East geo-political zone”.

Continuing, Col Sagir said, “No doubt, with this antecedents, General Bello is one of the most committed and respected General ever produced by the Nigeria Army.

The Chief of Army Staff Commendation award is an award reserved for excellence and Vanguard recalls that the General Officer Commanding 81 Division of the Nigeria Army, Lagos, Major General KTJ Minimah, won the award when as a one-star General, he successfully carried out a dangerous air maneuver by jumping airborne from an aircraft, thus becoming the highest ranked Nigeria Army officer to achieve that feat and lead airborne troops by example.