(FILES) In this file photograph taken on March 20, 2019, a Nigerian special guard climbs a ladder as he boards a vessel during a joint exercise between Nigerian and Moroccan naval personell as part of Obangame Express, a multinational maritime exercise involving 33 countries off the coast of Lagos. - Piracy in the waters off West Africa threatens plans to bolster regional trade, Ghana's defence minister warned July 24, 2019, as navy chiefs discussed efforts to secure the troubled waters. The Gulf of Guinea is the most dangerous stretch of sea for pirate attacks in the world, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). (Photo by PIUS UTOMI EKPEI / AFP)

By Nkasi Kolie

The security situation in Bayelsa State further deteriorated on Sunday with the killing of four persons and abduction of another six by sea pirates.

According to  investigations, among the victims are oil workers working for the Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence and Corps (NSCDC).

Reports indicated that the sea-pirates in separate operations ambushed their victims along the Okoroma and Ogbokiri/Akassa waterways in Nembe and Brass Local Government Areas of Bayelsa State respectively.

In Nembe, three Agip workers were reportedly shot dead while  NSCDC personnel on escort duty with the oil workers were also shot for attempting to repel the attack.

One of the NSCDC personnel was confirmed dead while two that were declared missing were later found having escaped into the swamps with bullet wounds.

Sources said the driver of the boat who is an indigene of Okoroma has been declared missing and divers have been directed to search for him.

Further findings gathered, indicated that the six oil workers kidnapped  at Ogbokiri-Akassa were carrying out some maintenance work close to their platform when sea-pirates swooped on them and whisked them away.

“The Agip oil workers and their security personnel were attacked at about 6am on Sunday while working close to a Manifold in Bayelsa. There was no security personnel with them when they incident happened,” a source said.

The spokesman of the NSCDC, Bayelsa command, ASC1 Ogbere Solomon who confirmed the killing of the personnel in ambush, disclosed that two of its men who were missing have been found and are currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, the State capital.

“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.”

Also speaking on the incident,  the youth president of the Okoroma Clan,  Mr Tarinyu Joseph disclosed that the people of the community  have mobilized and recovered the corpses of those killed and have taken those injured to the hospital.

He disclosed that the search party of divers are still combing the creeks in search of the driver of the boat.

The state government had recently banned the use of speed boats with 200 horse power engine along the waterways and imposed a curfew on movements on the waterways from 7pm to 6am as part of measures to curb the increasing wave of insecurity.


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