The
military bombarded the base of suspected militants Lagos and Ogun State .
It was learnt that scores
of militants were reportedly killed in the joint military operation which
lasted for more than one hour.
A
source said the military attacked Fatola, the base of the militants, adding
that houses around the area were shaken by the impact of bomb explosions on the
Ijaw militants.
He
said, “There has been a lot of commotion. The Nigerian Air Force bombarded
Fatola, in Arepo, which is the base of the militants. They are shelling the
place with fighter jets. Some soldiers also surrounded the area to make sure
that if any of the militants should run out, they would be gunned down.”
A
resident said people in the area had started fleeing their homes due to the
bombardment.
Another
resident in the Imushin area of Ogun State said that two aircrafts were
involved in the operation, adding that only one base of the militants was
attacked.
He
said, “An aircraft had actually been surveying the creek for the past three
days. But a second one joined this evening around 6pm. All we heard was a
sudden bomb blast released from the second aircraft.
But
it appeared that some of the militants had fled into the bush. There are four
major bases of the militants in the creek and they are led by two men- OC and
Agbala. If the military can get these two people, then they would have
succeeded in clipping the wings of the militants.”
A
community leader, who claimed to have spoken with one of the officers, said,
“The military officer said residents should not panic because it was a military
exercise. I also gathered that the casualty figure was high and that a lot of
the militants had been killed.”
The
Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, confirmed the
operation, saying it involved the army and the navy.
He
said, “The military only conducts its routine operation for the purpose of
denying the vandals and other criminal elements from causing terror in the
area. The operation, codenamed, Operation Awatse, was
initiated by the defence headquarters to dominate the area with a view to
flushing out all manners of criminals including militants and saboteurs. The
operation involved the joint forces of the navy and army and it has been
successful.”
The
Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police
were part of the operation.
She
said, “The Nigerian military and policemen from the Lagos and Ogun commands are
part of the operation. We are sweeping through the waterways where we share
boundaries to end the activities of the militants. It is a continuous exercise
and we cannot tell the number of casualties.”
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