Four soldiers and a policeman were killed in an attack on Nembe waterways by armed gunmen, suspected to be pirates, Bayelsa State Police Command said on Saturday.
The command’s spokesman, Asinim Butswat said in Yenagoa that the Joint Task Force base at Nembe came under attack on Friday’s night.
But swat said that “On August 7, 2015 at about 11:30pm, four speedboats loaded with gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates, attacked the Joint Task Force 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, Lieutenant Colonel Isa Ado, the Media Coordinator of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, confirmed that the attack by suspected sea pirates on the JTF base.
Ado, however, said the casualty figures and loss of arms and ammunitions were yet to be ascertained.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), has confirmed the Nembe Jetty attack in a statement issued by the Acting Director of Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar.
Abubakar said that the incident was being investigated, adding that the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD had moved into action to arrest and apprehend the perpetrators of this callous attacks.
“The military will deal decisively with anybody or group involved in this and similar acts of attacks or sabotage on the nation’s economy,” Abubakar was quoted as saying.
Abubakar advised those in the affected community to go about their normal business activities and solicited their cooperation by given timely information to the military or any other security agencies to avert future re-occurrence of the ugly incidence.
According to him, the Defence Headquarters is reiterating its commitment to ensuring the protection of lives and properties of innocent citizens nationwide.
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