Deadly Gunmen Kill Soldiers & Kidnap Expatriates In Bayelsa

Heavily armed gunmen on Tuesday in Bayelsa State shot dead 2 soldiers attached to the military task force code named ‘Operation Pulo Shield’ and abducted two expatriates workers with Setraco construction company, during a shootout along the Ogbia-Nembe road in Nembe area of the State.

The incident, which threw residents of Opume Junction axis of Ogbia and Nembe area into pandemonium was said to have occurred at about 8am on Tuesday morning.

The killing of the two soldiers came just a day after authorities of the Joint Force operating in the region disclosed that its troops have rescued a soldier who was kidnapped by suspected sea pirates along the Nembe creek on the 24th of March. 

The soldier who has spent ten days in the kidnappers den was rescued by troops from Sector 2 of the command during a search and rescue Operation in the creek around Otakeme Community in Ogbia area.

It could not be ascertained if the killing of the soldiers was in retaliation for the four sea pirates killed by the task force in the course of rescuing their colleagues from the kidnappers den, but eyewitnesses said the operation was carefully planned by the gunmen as they took the soldiers unaware. 

One of the eyewitnesses confirmed to Guardian that the soldiers, who were attached as security detail to the Setraco personnel on the site of the road project, were suddenly attacked with sophisticated weapons from the bushes in what could be described as an ambush and did not notice until it was too late.

A Hilux utility vehicle driver identified as Monday, who witnessed the scene, said it was a like a movie scene. “The soldiers were shooting and the armed men were shooting. We later saw signs of blood everywhere when the soldiers removed the blood soaked colleague and some expatriates.” 

Coordinator of the Joint Media Centre of the Security Task Force, Col. Isa Ado, stated in a terse text message that “Not confirmed as no such report at our disposal at the moment.”