SAN FRANCISCO, August 15, (THEWILL) – The Joint Task Force (JTF), codenamed Operation ‘Pulo Shield’, has busted a den of kidnappers reportedly responsible for the abduction of three Dutch nationals and two Dutch-Nigerians who were taken seized by gunmen operating in Letugbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in May.
The renewed raid on den of criminals, notorious for sea piracy, oil theft, pipeline vandalism as well as kidnapping activities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, has resulted in the recovery of a cache of arms and ammunitions and other items being used by the hoodlums to terrorise the state.
The breakthrough came barely three months after the much-publicised kidnapping of visiting Messrs Erhard Leffers, Jandries Groenendijk, Femi Soewu, Sunny Ofehe as well as Ms. Marianne Vos who have since gained their freedom and are back to Holland .
Coordinator of Joint Media Campaign Centre of the Task Force, Lt. Col Mustapha Anka, who confirmed the development in a statement, said the Task Force launched the renewed operation code named operation ‘Grand Slam’ to flush out the criminal elements and restore normalcy in the waterways owing to several cases of sea piracy, kidnapping and other social vices in the waterways.
According to him, the hoodlums, are behind the various robbery activities on vessels, boats and ferries plying the Forupa channel.
He said victims are kept in the busted camp while the kidnappers demand for ransoms before releasing their victims.
“The recent hostage-taking and attacks on the Bayelsa waterways which sometimes led to death of their victims are allegedly perpetrated by the camp operators,” the spokesman said.
Giving a graphic details of the operations of the hoodlums who operate the camp, Lt. Col Anka said the criminals cash on the difficult terrain in the region to perpetuate crimes in the creek.
According to him, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State in recent times has become a den for criminal activities ranging from kidnapping, sea piracy, pipeline vandalisation and oil theft.
“The activities of the hoodlums also extended to neighbouring communities of Azuzama and Ekeni in Ekeremor LGA of the state,” he added.
Ekeni community was where the swoop between local negotiator and the gunmen who seized the three Dutch nationals took place after their abduction in Letugbene waterfront also in Ekeremor LGA of the state.
“It was based on this that the Commander Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD, Major General Emmanuel Atewe, tasked the anti-illegal bunkering squad of the Task Force led by the 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 to dislodge the camp, where they recovered arms and ammunition before setting it ablaze,” he explained.
According to JMCC Coordinator, although there was no arrest, the hoodlums who operated the camp were said to have engaged the crack team of soldiers in a shootout of which many of them were wounded and escaped through the creeks.
“During a shootout miscreants escaped to the creeks with several gunshot wounds which they sustained during the exchange of fire.
“No arrest was made but caches of arms and ammunition were recovered.
“Other items recovered included; six fiber boats with 75hp bow out engine, seven pieces 65hp engine, twelve pieces of mattress, two generating sets, four smoke grenade and five cell phones with 15 SIM cards belonging to different communication companies.
“Others included; foodstuff, refrigerators, freezers and video camera with microphone belonging to African World Web Television presumed to belong to a victim of the criminals,” he said.
It could be recalled that persistent attack on the waterways by operators of the camp had made the waterways of the Niger Delta unsafe for both the oil company workers and marine operators and other who travel through the route.
One of the most reported operations of the kidnappers was the abduction of the Dutch nationals in May, of which Dutch-based Africa WebTV Creative Director, Mr. Femi Soewu, and Nigerian journalist, Joe Ogbodu, who doubles as Vice chairman of the local chapter of Nigeria Union of Journalist, Warri Correspondents Chapel, had lost three mobile phones, a laptop, Ipad, camera as well as a microphone.
