YENAGOA- Gun men today (Saturday) have abducted military personnel in a passenger boat, Prase Marine and kill the driver in out-board 115 HP engine boat and the gun men removed the engine away, near Foropa community in Gbarun creek of Southern Ijaw local Government area of Bayelsa State.
Daily Watch gathered that the soldier was abducted today (Saturday) at about 3;30 in a passenger boat, Prase Marine when the heavily armed gun boat sighted the passenger boat with a uniformed Nigerian soldier, Rotimi who was attached to security checkpoint at Foropa Joint.
‘‘The gun men tried to stop the boat, but the driver increased the speed of the engne after sensing danger, an attempt to drive away from the gun men. They made series of gun shots into the air to scare the driver. But the driver ignored the warning shots, so they opened gun fire at the driver who fell into the river which they came and abducted the military man in the boat as well as they dismantled the engine into their boat and sped off to unknown location’’ an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity told Daily Watch.
When contacted Major Ibrahim Abdullahi, spokesperson Joint Task Force (JTF) for confirmation,but his number was ringing with no response. But another senior officer who pleaded not to be mentioned told Daily Watch that the incidence happened today in Southern Ijaw local Government area, near Foropa community in Bayelsa state. He said the soldier was among the squad attached to the Foropa community join check and search squad, he was returning from Yenagoa to his duty post.
According to him, the army officer has not been found and also his where-about is yet unknown as there was no message from the abductors . He noted that the military authority is greatly concerned over the security developments in Niger Delta, particularly in Rivers and Bayelsa States at this early part of 2018.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army is still nursing its wounds in a fierce gun battle with a militant gang in Ekeremor local government area led by a small but mighty 27n years old Kareowei who defeated the army in series of gun battles that had angered the army to burn down Toru-Ndoro community, a peaceful ancient community in Bayelsa State .
The Kareowei voluntarily surrendered himself to the military authorities through the entreaties of native leaders on Thursday this week. But the army summarily executed the militant leader without a fair trial which human rights have described Kareowei’s killing as an extra-judicial murder by the army.
However,the people of Toru-Ndoro are facing a humanitarian crisis as soldiers have burnt down the entire community over activities of militancy which they are now squatting in neighbouring communities as displaced persons with nobody to pay attention to their present plight.
