Gunmen kidnap four dredging workers in Bayelsa

Four workers of a dredging company attached to construction giant, Setraco, were Saturday kidnapped along the creek of Nembe in Nembe Local Government Area of the Bayelsa State by unknown gunmen.

The abducted workers have been identified as Caleb Agene, Otuke Magic Kingdom, Gabriel Oghene and Godwin Odukpong.

The abduction of the dredging workers came few days after the state government set up an 11-man security task force, headed by former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Ebikabowei Victor-Ben.

According to a security source, “The dredging crew members were reportedly seized and whisked away from their dredging base by the armed men, who came in a speedboat. We heard sporadic shooting Saturday night but we never knew it was from the daredging firm base.”

Sources confirmed that the Southern Ijaw communities and Nembe creeks have become the hub of violent crimes in the state. Gunmen and sea pirates have been identified to freely engage in kidnapping, sea piracy, pipeline vandalization and oil theft.

“Activities of the hoodlums also extended to neighbouring communities of Azuzama and Ekeni in Ekeremor LGA of the state,” sources said.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, code named Operation Pulo Shield, under the leadership of Major General Emmanuel Atewe ordered a security action against identified kidnappers’ camps in the Southern Ijaw areas of the state.

In a statement issued by JTF spokesman, Lt. Col. Anka Mustapha, the anti illegal bunkering squad of the task force, led by Commanding Officer of 5 Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Shu’aibu Nuhu, in collaboration with the air component of the task force, stormed a camp at Meibegbemo, located at Zobia of Faropo community of southern Ijaw LGA, dislodged the camp, recovered arms and ammunition before setting it ablaze.

According to the statement, “during a shootout, miscreants escaped to the creeks with several gunshot wounds sustained during the exchange of fire.

“No arrest was made but caches of arms and ammunition were recovered. Other items recovered include six fibre boats, with 75hp bow out engine mounted on them, seven pieces 65hp engine, 12 pieces of mattress, two generating sets, four smoke grenade and five cell phones, with 15 SIM cards, belonging to different communication companies.

“Others include food stuff, refrigerators, freezers and video camera, with microphone belonging to African World Web Television, presumed to belong to a victim of the criminals.”

The hoodlums, it was learnt, are responsible for robbery activities on vessels, boats and ferries plying the Forupa channel, while their kidnapped victims are kept in the camp. The recent hostages and attacks on Bayelsa waterways, which sometimes led to death of their victims are alleged to have been perpetrated by the camp operators. Attack on the camp made the waterways of the Niger Delta unsafe for both the oil company workers and marine operators and the general public.

SOURCE; http://www.mydailynewswatchng.com/gunmen-kidnap-four-dredging-workers-bayelsa/