Pirates kill 3 soldiers in deadly attack in Bayelsa

Gunmen operating as sea-pirates along the waterways of Bayelsa struck again over the weekend killing three soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield.

Sea-pirates had recent weeks taken over the waterways terrorizing and attacking passengers forcing the local maritime union to embark on an industrial action until the government can guarantee the safety of lives and property on the waterways.

The union had called off the strike when the government promised to strengthen its operations on the waterways by increasing the patrol of the Marine Police and the State government task force on waterways.

Checks indicated that the latest attack was carried at the Santa Barbara River in Nembe, Nembe local government area of the state.

Findings showed that the gunmen ambushed the soldiers who were in a gunboat escorting some items to Brass terminal from Port Harcourt.

They were said to have opened fire on them from a hideout in the creeks and went away with the gunboat and rifles.

A reliable security source said though the circumstances through which the soldiers were killed is not clear, what is certain is that the sea-pirates went away with the gunboat.

“They were ambushed by deadly pirates. It is suspected that the gunmen hijacked the gunboat, later killed the soldiers and threw their dead bodies into the water or they shot and pushed them into the water before stealing the gunboat. The gunboat appears to be the target of the hoodlums especially as arms are being stockpiled by militants for 2015. The Santa Barbara where the incident occurred is in Nembe and is notorious for piracy”.

The JTF has however said the soldiers are not dead but only missing, adding that a search- and- rescue team has been set up to locate their whereabouts.

The media coordinator of the JTF, Col Mustapha Anka who confirmed the attack said it is premature to conclude that the soldiers are dead.

According to him the JTF had activated its search- and- rescue team and deploy them to the area the incident happened.