The Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin has issued a stern warning to all law-abiding citizens who live around the vicinity were camps of criminal gangs are located in the creeks of the Niger Delta to relocate immediately.

According to Air Marshal Petinrin some criminal acts within the past few days by some claiming to be militants especially the kidnapping of seven expatriate workers from an oil rig off the Niger Delta and the attack on the home of the President's special adviser on the amnesty in the Niger Delta, Mr Timi Alaibe, have raised concerns.

"We have observed with concern some criminal acts within the past few days by some people claiming to be militants ... Many of these criminals are known to be hiding in camps within the creeks of the Niger Delta," Chief of Defence Staff Oluseyi Petinrin said in a statement.

"These camps will no longer be tolerated. To avoid any collateral damage, we are seizing this opportunity to instruct all law-abiding citizens who live around the vicinity of these camps to leave immediately," the statement said.

Any major offensive by the armed forces would be the first in the Niger Delta, since the amnesty programme was implemented by President Goodluck Jonathan in August 2009.

Meanwhile officials of the joint task force say one camp in Bayelsa was raided on Friday and after an exchange of gunfire, weapons and maps of oil facilities were seized.

Movement of the Emancipation for the Niger Delta (MEND), kidnapped seven foreign crew members from an Afren oil rig on Sunday, including two Americans, two Frenchmen, two Indonesians and one Canadian.

The group said on Friday the seven men were in good health but would be in its custody "for a while".

It said the two Americans and one of the Frenchmen were employees of Swiss-based Transocean, the second Frenchman worked for France's Sodexo, the Indonesians worked for Century Energy Ltd and the Canadian worked for local firm Petroleum Projects International (PPI).