Five naval personnel are feared to have been killed by oil thieves on Thursday night at the Arepo area of Ogun State. The attack on the naval men came just weeks after an anti-pipeline vandalism Joint Task Force (JTF), raided the Wawa area of Arepo, arresting some suspected vandals. The naval men were ambushed and killed while responding to a distress call at Arepo over a suspicious pipeline explosion.
Though the slain men are believed to be part of the JTF, sources, however, said the killing of the five naval men maybe a reprisal. The JTF on Wednesday launched an attack on the pipeline vandals, only for the vandals to regroup. The vandals carried out their reprisal moments after operatives of the JTF stormed the area again on Thursday night to continue their raid.
The source added: “So far, three dead bodies have been recovered, but two are still missing.” The JTF, in an operation Codenamed ‘Operation Awatse,’ had been saddled with the job of protecting the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines from Atlas Cove to Mosimi Depot. The JTF, comprising the Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), launched series of attacks on the pipeline vandals at the Wawa area of Arepo.
The Wednesday raid by the JTF was based on a tip-off that the vandals had caused a pipeline explosion while siphoning fuel. After arriving the area, the operatives interrupted the vandals as they were loading a tanker as well as many kegs, with the siphoned products.
It was gathered that the vandals on sighting the JTF operatives engaged them in a gun duel but were, however, overpowered by the superior fire power of the operatives. As a result of the exchange of gunfire, the tanker and other stolen products allegedly caught fire.
On Thursday night, it was learnt that the vandals regrouped, made a bonfire and while the operatives headed towards that direction to know the cause of the inferno, they were ambushed. All efforts to get official reaction from the security agencies failed as both the police and NSCDC declined to comment even though they directed any inquiries to the military.
When contacted, the navy and army also refused to comment, adding that all inquiries should be directed to the Defence Headquarters, since the JTF was under them. On his part, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu, said investigations were ongoing. He said: “All I can tell you is that investigation is on-going.
I do not have the details and cannot tell you hearsay. I suggest you contact the DHQ because the operation is under them. All participating officers are personnel of the DHQ, they were drawn from other services and so, I cannot tell you whether it was navy, army, Air Force or police. Only the DHQ can authoritatively comment on this.”
Meanwhile, in the previous raid made three weeks ago, the JTF had stormed the area and arrested some vandals as they tried to cart away the stolen products in three minivans and a waste disposal truck allegedly belonging to one Ganiu Ventures. The security operatives were said to have engaged the vandals in a gun duel before they were eventually overpowered, thereby leading to the arrest of five of the suspects, while others fled.
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