Military Repels Ship Hijacking and Arrests Vandals
The Nigerian troops have apparently avoided an attempted hijack of a shipping vessel in the agitated Niger Delta and have also separately arrested five pipeline vandals.
Lieutenant Commander Thomas Otuji said, “Troops of Operation Base 2 repelled a hijack of a vessel (MT VAJARA) by heavily armed bandits in Ramos River, around Agge area of Delta state”.
He stated that the pirates were deterred last week after a fierce exchange of fire with government troops. Ship hijackings have become a common occurrence since President Muhammadu Buhari last year announced he was winding down an amnesty to former militants in the oil-rich Niger delta region.
Otuji also added that “Five suspected vandals were arrested and they confessed to their plan to vandalise the wellheads and two boats were recovered during the operation”.
He said the military was dedicated to making the entire Niger Delta and the waterways safe for oil firms, vessels and their crew.
He said the military also recently responded to distress calls by travellers who were attacked by pirates in the southern states of Cross River and Rivers, adding that the troops had killed the criminals and rescued the travellers.
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Source: The Guardian Nigeria
