Gunmen kill 4 naval personnel, abduct three expatriates

Gunmen suspected to be militants have killed four Navy ratings and abducted three expatriates working for a dredging company at Agge River in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. It was gathered that the three foreigners abducted include two Russians and one Indian. Sources from Agge community however said the attack happened at the […]

Gunmen suspected to be militants have killed four Navy ratings and abducted three expatriates working for a dredging company at Agge River in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the three foreigners abducted include two Russians and one Indian.

Sources from Agge community however said the attack happened at the Agge axis which belonged to Warri in Delta State and that the Navy ratings were from the NNS in Delta command.

A source from the community, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the incident happened last Friday night, and that the four navy ratings were allegedly killed during a heavy gun battle that lasted for hours.

Another resident of the community, who declined to be named, said one of the gunmen also died during the shootout.

It was gathered that the incident has created serious tension in the area as military personnel were reportedly preparing for an attack to bring the perpetrators to book.

The neighbouring communities in Warri, Delta State, were also said to be leaving in fear that their villages may be brought down as the military was said to be gathering intelligence on the matter.

So far, no militant group has claimed responsibility on the act nor demanded any ransom for those abducted.

Police spokesperson in Bayelsa State, SP Asinim Butswat, in a response to a text message from our reporter, said: “The attack was on Navy personnel, get confirmation from the navy please.”

Also, the spokesman for the Joint Military Taskforce saddled with the responsibility of protecting oil facilities in Niger Delta, ‘Operation Delta Safe’, Major Jonah Unuakhalu, when contacted promised to get back but had not as at the time of filing this report.

The spokesperson for the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Patricia Dike, could not be reached as her phone number was not reachable.