Rivers: Police rescues 14 kidnapped oil workers
Kaduna herdsmen attack: Pastor, wife, 3 children missing
GENERAL Officer Commanding, GOC, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, Major-General Ibrahim Attahiru, said the army has dislodged militants in the Niger-Delta region. Attahiru, who addressed journalists at the weekend in Enugu, said the operation has paid off so far, revealing that 23 militants were killed, 82 camps and 91 illegal refineries destroyed, as well as bunkering sites. He explained that the just concluded military exercise in the Niger-Delta tittled, ‘Crocodile Smile’ was aimed at stemming growing restiveness in the region.
The GOC disclosed that the army recorded four casualties during the exercise and warned that its formation in Enugu would continue to halt the myriad of security threats cum economic sabotage within its area of responsibility. Attahiru, who noted that the division would continue to maintain operational tempo to consolidate on the gains that it achieved during the exercise, reiterated that it will continue without hesitation to defeat any attempt on national critical infrastructure, oil and gas resources and overall strangulation of the socio-economy of law abiding citizenry by any group of militants or criminals. According to him, “the exercise, ‘Crocodile Smile’ ended not just as a training exercise, but also as a way of demonstrating the capacity and efficacy of the Nigerian Army to secure lives and property in the Niger-Delta and the South-East. “Unfortunately, four of our personnel got drowned in the general area of Brass in Bayelsa State due to a boat mishap, while another one was killed in action elsewhere around Obiozunmini near Obite in Onelga, Rivers State, in a fire fight with criminals/militants. “Most importantly, the division is ever committed to the strategic direction of the chief of army staff, chief of defence state and the president,” he added. He recalled that as part of the exercise, the chief of army staff and his entourage visited governors, prominent traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders in Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers State, stressing that the division in collaboration and synergy with the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, as well as other security agencies remain vital. Police rescues 14 kidnapped oil workers in Rivers Fourteen Nestoil workers who were abducted about two weeks ago while on their way to Port Harcourt along the notorious Omoku axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State have regained their freedom. Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen, yesterday. According to the statement, the victims were rescued after a fierce gun battle between the kidnapers and men of the Tactical Unit of the Command, which made the hoodlums to abandon their victims and escape, yesterday. The statement indicated that the rescued victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital. The statement read: “The Commissioner of Police Rivers State Police Command, CP Francis M. Odesanya in keeping with his pledge to fight all manners of crime and criminality in the state, which pledge is already yielding fruitful result, has again smashed the gang of kidnappers responsible for the abduction of fourteen (14) Oil Workers on the 2nd day of September 2016. “The Oil Workers were rescued unhurt due largely to the efforts of the Command’s Tactical Units, who, at the early hours of today 18/9/2016, engaged the hoodlums, in a fierce gun battle which lasted for one and half hours, leading to the rescue of the victims, the hoodlums took to flight abandoning their hostages. Efforts are on to arrest and bring them to justice. “The last of the hostages, seven in number were rescued unhurt bringing the total number to fourteen (14). However, no ransom was paid. They have been debriefed and are receiving medical attention in the hospital. Investigation is on-going at the Command’s Anti- Kidnapping Unit. “ The names of the fourteen (14) hostages released are as follows: Uche Obuh ‘m’, Oliseh Onabrakpeya ‘m’, Bisong Jacob ‘m’, John Ambrose ‘m’, Elijah Walter ‘m’, Onah Onyekachukwu ‘m’, Okoro Emmanuel ‘m’, Oliver Onah ‘m’, Collins Joseph ‘m’, Ndifreke Elkannah ‘m’, Raphael Odili ‘m’, Babatunde Joseph ‘m’, Unah Gregory ‘m’, Double Chief ‘m’.” Herdsmen attack: Pastor, wife, 3 children missing in Kaduna Evangelist Martins Oko- Oboh, his wife and 3 children have been declared missing after suspected herdsmen attacked on Nandu and Kabamu Villages in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna state. The younger brother to the missing pastor, John Oko-Oboh, told newsmen in Abuja at the weekend that the family members have been missing since June 24 when the incident happened, and therefore called on the Police and other security agencies in the country to help to find the missing pastor, wife and
children. According to the junior Oko-Oboh, the Evangelist had lived in the village for so many years before the recent attack which claimed so many lives. He said he had reported the matter at the police station in Kabamu village. “When every other person were reporting at the police station, we equally went there to report the matter too,”he said. “We have tried to get across to my brother and his family all to no avail. I am appealing to the members of the public to also avail us of information that will lead to the where about of my brother and his family,” he said. He appealed to the Federal Government to intervene in the incessant attacks by suspected herdsmen in the country to ensure peaceful coexistence. “I want the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to these attacks by suspected herdsmen which threatening the unity of this country,”he said. Nigerian Pilot gathered that no fewer than 38 persons were killed in separate attacks in Nandu and Kabamu villages in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna state
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