Gunmen Kill Four JTF Soldiers In Bayelsa

Four operatives of Joint Military TaskForce,code name “Operation Poulo Shield” which includes a retired Naval officer were in the early hours of yesterday, killed by unknown gunmen suspected to be pirates.

According to sources, JTF operatives were ambushed along Angiama/Akpelebiri river route in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa while escorting an oil verssel, MV Cameroun 3, belonging to Sterling Global Oil Resources Limited

The incident left two other persons missing while another is said to have sustained serious injury.

The security men were said to have been over powered by the hoodluns who took them unaware. However, a distress call for reinforcement came when the gun men had left the area in their speedboat with three of their colleagues who were also said to have sustained bullet wounds.

It was learnt that the barge, conveying some equipment was coming from Warri, Delta State and heading to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when they were attacked.

Already, operatives of the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) have deployed five military gun boats to the creeks to track down the gunmen now at large.

The Tide gathered that communities living along the routes are now in fear over reprisal attack by the security men, a situation that is causing anxiety and tension among the residents.

Contacted, spokesman of JTF, Lt. Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the incident, claiming that only two soldiers and a civilian lost their lives in the attack.

It could be recalled that in a space of three weeks, three different incidents of kidnapping have taken place in the state, while pirates are having free day in creeks, a situation that has put question mark on the huge expenses the state government claimed to have made on security.