The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operation Pulo Shield, on
Thursday said its troops swooped on hideouts used by suspected
kidnappers in Bayelsa coastal communities.
According to a statement by the Media Coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col
Mustapha Anka, the operation was ordered by JTF Commander, Maj. Gen
Emmanuel Atewe, following rising insecurity in waterways in the state.
The statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa said
the troops flushed out and dislodged the kidnappers who engaged the
troops in a shootout from their hideouts with bullet wounds.
Anka explained that the operation by Operation Pulo Shield's
anti-illegal bunkering squad was led by Commanding Officer OF 5
Battalion, Lt. Col. Shu'aibu Nuhu, in collaboration with the Air
Component of the task force.
"The Task Force Stormed a Camp at Meibegbemo located at Zobia of
Faropo community of Southern Ijaw LGA dislodging the camp, recovering
arms and ammunition before setting it ablaze.
"During the shootout, miscreants escaped to the creeks with several
gunshot wounds sustained during the exchange of fire. No arrest was
made but caches of arms and ammunition were recovered.
"Other items include six fiber boats with 75hp bow out engine mounted
on them, 7 pieces 65hp engine, 12 pieces of mattress, two generating
sets, 4 smoke grenade and 5 cell phones with 15 SIM cards of various
phone operators.
"Also food stuff, refrigerators, freezers and video camera with
microphone belonging to African World Web Television presumed to
belong to a victim of the criminals were recovered," Anka stated.
The statement further said that occupants of the destroyed camp were
responsible for pirate attacks on vessels, boats and ferries plying
through the Forupa channel, while their kidnapped victims were kept in
the camp.
Anka said that the operation had since restored peace and normalcy to
the creeks.
"The camp made the waterways of the Niger Delta unsafe for both the
oil workers, marine operators and the general public.
"It was based on this development that the JTF Operation code named
Operation Grand Slam was lunched to flush out the criminals and
restore normalcy in the waterways," said the statement.
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