President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the military to stop attacking Niger Delta militants who have been destroying pipelines and other major oil installations in the area.

The president said he was giving the militants two weeks for dialogue on the prevailing situation in the region.

Disclosing this in Abuja, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu said the order for the military to suspend its operations was to create a window for dialogue with militants.

He said the Federal Government was determined to resort to dialogue with a view to restoring genuine peace in the region.