Operatives of the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield have foiled an attempt by some unidentified gunmen to abduct the maternal cousin to President Jonathan, Patience Agbani.
Agbani, 35, was rescued from her abductors numbering about six who trailed her as she was returning from her business at Akepelai in Ogbia local government area of the state by soldiers attached to the Setraco Construction Company.
The Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, who confirmed the incident, said Agbani ran into an uncompleted building and called an operative of JTF in the area.
“We foiled the kidnap attempt on the woman at Akimpli at about 11pm. She was returning from her business at about 11:30 pm. But she was being trailed by a group of men numbering about six.
“They gave her a hot chase but good enough she had the number of one of our men deployed at SETRACO in Ogbia. Our patrol team responded swiftly and they were able to prevent the kidnap,” he said.
He said JTF was able to rescue the woman because the woman called the outfit and provided it with useful information about her location.
This happened just as gunmen operating along the waterways of the Niger Delta attacked two tugboats belonging to an oil company, Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
The gunmen, were said to have abducted the captain of the two vessels during the attack that took place in the early hours of Wednesday at about 1.30am
The tugboats were identified as MV Ebizar and MV Smoke but the identity of the victims could not be ascertained.
A security source, who pleaded anonymity, said, “The captains on board both vessels were taken away to unknown place. Nobody knows their whereabouts.”
The source said the incident occurred at an area known as Peter’s town in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The tugboats, it was learnt were in transit from Nembe to Port Harcourt when they came under attack.
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