Pipeline vandals
Thursday night , laid ambush on the Anti Pipeline Vandalism Joint Task
Force, JTF in Arepo area of Ogun state, killing five operatives. The operatives
were suspected to be naval personnel. As at yesterday , only three bodies of
the slain personnel had been recovered . The incident described as a
reprisal attack, occurred barely 24 hours after the Joint Task
Force, comprising the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army and the National Security
and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC, had launched series of attacks at the pipeline
vandalism syndicate in the area, which led to series of arrest and startling
discoveries.
While vandals were siphoning petroleum product from a burst
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation pipeline . They were said
to have opened fire on the personnel but later bowed to their superior fire
power, abandoning their trucks and containers filled with the
siphoned petroleum product. During its routine patrol of the area
Thursday night , the JTF reportedly heard an explosion in the creeks. In
their bid to ascertain where the explosion was from, they were reportedly
attacked by vandals said to have used the explosion as a bait. Flag Officer
Commanding Western Naval Command , Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu said
investigations were ongoing.