CRUDE oil thieves whose 12,000 metric tonnes of crude oil was confiscated by Joint Task Force on the Niger-Delta, a fortnight ago, in Delta State, regrouped, yesterday, and launched a vengeful attack on soldiers at Okwagbe in Delta State.
The attack was carried out by an armed militia who came in 30 speedboats with the intent of overpowering the JTF operatives, but, the troops repelled them. Military sources said that some of the attackers were injured.
Also, the task force commanded by Brigadier-General Nanven Rimtip has intercepted 3750 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, packaged in six boxes, which were being conveyed to a militant camp in Bayelsa State by a suspected militant. The suspect (names withheld), a 34-year-old indigene of Koluma in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, at Yenagoa was also nabbed. Each of the boxes contained 750 rounds.
Coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC) of the JTF, Lieutenant Colonel Rabe Abubakar who confirmed the gun battle between the armed militia and the troops said the incident occurred at about 0130 hours on Monday.
He said the task force destroyed three more Local illegal oil refineries at Egbo, Anyakurma and Okirika communities of Bayelsa State recently in continuation of its fight against illegal bunkering in the Niger Delta.
According to him, the attack by the militants “was resisted and successfully countered with no casualties on own side, but inflicted serious casualties on the militants”.
“The JTF is ready more than ever before to contain the militants’ unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on us for just doing our statutory duties. This and similar attacks on our locations and personnel will not drag the peace- maker security outfit to a full blown war as, the JTF is here for peace and security, not for war, Abubakar said.
On the militant found with five boxes of ammunitions, he said the suspect was on his way to Ikibiri, near Lobia when he was caught and found on him was a cell phone that contains the number of the assumed militant leader, operating in Bayelsa State.
“Despite the peace process and JTF’s resolve not to engage the militants since we are not at war with them, it is disgusting to see that these number of ammunitions were intercepted from the person suspected to be working for the militants with the motive of carrying these ammunitions for distribution to their various camps, which will be used for the destabilization of the region”, he said.
Abubakar also pleaded for the cooperation of the general public, especially in giving adequate information that would help the JTF in fighting criminality in the region, adding that the task force would continue to show maturity in its Internal Security (IS) Operations, but, stated that it would pursue criminals and militants and their co-sponsors to a conclusive end.
He advised militants to imbibe the culture of peace for the benefit of all, saying, “we know all the militants’ intent and plan due to our excellent information gathering machinery, but however, we cannot take law into our hands”.
He said the recent incident “ portrays the level at which the militants have gone in order to cause confusion and the JTF would not fold its hand and allow them to derail the peace process in the Niger Delta region”.