Suspected sea pirates ambush oil workers, NCDSC personnel, kill three, kidnap seven

Armed men suspected to be sea pirates, in the early hours of Sunday, launched multiple ambush on some oil workers in Okoroma and Ogbokiri –Akassa communities of Nembe and Brass Local Government areas of Bayelsa State. The gunmen reportedly shot dead two staff of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company and a personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).  The driver of their boat, an indigene of Okoroma community is still missing, according to the locals.

In the ambush that occurred at Ogbokiri-Akassa in Brass Local Government area, six oil workers allegedly doing maintenance job close to their platform were kidnapped and whisked away. It was learned that the Agip oil workers and their security personnel came under attack at about 6am while working close to a manifold in the deep swamp. Spokesman of the NSCDC, Bayelsa command, ASC1 Ogbere Solomon, who confirmed the incident, said only one personnel of the command died in the ambush, while two others who were missing have been found and are currently receiving treatment at a medical facility in Yenagoa.

“Yes, our officers were ambushed and attacked by some unknown pirates while on their lawful duty of providing protection to some Agip oil workers close to Obama manifold in Okoroma community of Nembe Local Government. One personnel was killed while the other two that were missing have been found and are responding to treatment,” he said. Also, the Youth President of the Okoroma Clan, Comrade Tarinyu Joseph, who confirmed the incident on phone said indigenes of the area, have mobilised and recovered the corpses of those killed. He added that those injured taken to the hospital while the boat driver, identified as his brother, is still missing. Indigenes of Nembe and Brass communities, it was further learned, have started raising awareness and warning fellow indigenes of the danger of travelling home in the wake of rising insecurity along  the creeks and waterways.