Arrest of soldiers’ killers: Bayelsa Task Force, JMTF claim glory

The arrest of the suspected killers of soldiers at a military post in Nembe, Bayelsa State, has taken a twist, with the authorities of the Joint Military Task Force, JMTF, code-named Operation Delta Safe, and Bayelsa State Waterways Security Task Force,  led by an ex-militant leader, Africanus Ukparasia, also known as “Gen. Africa”, separately claiming to have nabbed the perpetrators of the crime. While the JMTF, yesterday, paraded the suspects, claiming that it also recovered the gunboat carted away by the bandits during the attack on the military post, Ukparasia in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said it made the arrests. In a statement, Ukparasia said that although the taskforce was only recently inaugurated, it had “been working behind the scene to halt pipeline vandalism in Bayelsa State for some months,” renewing his warning to criminals to desist from their acts of criminality or leave Bayelsa State, as according to him, there would be no more room for criminals in the state as his Task Force shall take the battle to them. He said that the suspects had been handed over to the appropriate security agencies, promising to work with the security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of other heinous crimes in the state. But briefing newsmen in Yenagoa, Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear Admiral Joseph Okojie, said the arrests were effected following the massive manhunt launched on identified hideouts of fleeing criminals. He said: “You will recall that on August 8, 2016, a group suspected to be members of Niger Delta Avengers, disguised as burial parties, attacked and killed four soldiers at their duty post in Nembe. They absconded with a gunboat and some ammunition. “Since then, our troops stepped up operations in the areas hitherto inhabited by the bandits. Consequently on August 13, 2016, our troops located and raided their hideouts at a camp in Saraba creek near Okiama community in Okigbene, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State. “Several items including military accoutrements were recovered from them. In pursuit of this discovery, a coordinated patrol was further launched and on August 22, 2016, our troops at 1400hours located and engaged these criminals in a shoot out in which some of them were believed to have been killed, three suspects arrested and large quantities of arms, ammunition and the gunboat that was taken away from Nembe on August 8, recovered.” Meanwhile, one of the paraded suspects, Ausitn Dikuro, confessed his involvement in the attack and killing of the soldiers, saying it was his ‘commander’ that asked  them to open fire on the soldiers during the operation.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/08/arrest-soldiers-killers-bayelsa-task-force-jmtf-claim-glory/