TheCable

Four soldiers and a policeman were killed in an attack on Nembe waterways by armed gunmen suspected to be pirates, the Bayelsa state police command said on Saturday.

Asinim Butswat, spokesman of the command, told NAN in Yenagoa, capital of the state, that the Joint Task Force (JTF) base at Nembe came under attack on Friday’s night.

“On August 7, 2015, at about 11:30p.m., four speedboats loaded with gunmen suspected to be sea pirates attacked the Joint Task Force (JTF) base, at Nembe Water Front, in Nembe LGA.

“They killed four soldiers and one policeman. The gunmen carted away two HP guns and other arms from the base. A combined team of the JTF, Marine Police and the Navy are combing the creeks to recover the arms and arrest the culprits.”

When contacted, Isa Ado, a lieutenant colonel and media coordinator of the JTF in the Niger Delta, confirmed the attack, but he said the casualty toll and loss of arms and ammunitions had not been ascertained.

The defence headquarters subsequently confirmed the incident, saying “suspected oil bunkerers” attacked Nembe Jetty, near Ogolomabiri community in the state.

“The incident is being investigated and the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD has moved into action to arrest and apprehend the perpetrators of this unpatriotic and callous attacks,” it said.

“The military will deal decisively with anybody or group involved in this and similar acts of attacks or sabotage on the nation’s economy.”

It enjoined the general public in the affected community to go about normal business activities and cooperate with the military by “giving timely information to the military or any other security agencies to avert future re-occurrence of this ugly incident”.