Soldiers engage militants in gun battle, foil attack on Agip facility

Troops of 343 Artillery Regiment of 2 Brigade, 82 division of the Nigerian army, engaged some militants in a gun battle in an attempt to prevent attack on a pipeline belonging to Agip oil in Bayelsa state.

Sani Usman, spokesman of the army, confirmed the incident, saying soldiers also prevented the violent group from attacking another “critical infrastructure” in the state.

Usman said some of the militants were killed, while the only security agent – an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) – who sustained injury in the operations had been taken to the hospital.

“Today, May 29, 2016 in the early hours of morning, troops of 343 Artillery Regiment of 2 Brigade, 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, carried out patrol within the general area of Gulobokri and Eweleso, around Brass area in Bayelsa state,” he said in a statement.

“During the exercise, the patrol team had an encounter with some armed militants in 2 speed boats with intents to blow up Nigerian Agip Oil Company pipeline at Gulobokri. The suspected vandals opened fire on the patrol team.

“The troops responded with overwhelming superior firepower and as a result, the suspected criminals sped off from the area with many of them sustaining gunshot wounds. No casualty on the patrol team.

“Unfortunately, a member of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, attached to the team sustained gunshot wound. He has since been evacuated and he is in a stable condition.

“In a related development, another patrol team of the same unit of 82 Division Nigerian Army, on patrol to Perigbene House Boat  also encountered 3 Speed boats suspected to be containing militants about to attack another critical infrastructure in the area.

“The troops opened fire on them, killing most of them and injuring others.  However, the casualty on militants cannot be ascertained as it was raining heavily and the raging storm could not allow troops to go on pursuit of the escaping criminals.

“A mop up operation has been organised for those militants that escaped with gunshot wounds and injuries as they may be receiving treatment in the neighbouring communities. With this development, troops would continue to intensify patrol in the general area to avert further vandalization or attacks in the area.”

Meanwhile, the has announced the arrest 10 suspected members of the the Niger Delta Avengers, the militant group, claiming responsibility for recent attacks on oil facilities in the region.

The suspects were said to have been arrested at in Oporaza community, Warri south-west local government area of Delta state, on Saturday morning.

Farouk Yahaya, commander of the 4 Brigade, paraded the suspects on Sunday in Benin, capital of Edo state, saying there had been cases of sabotage by suspected militants and vandals in the state since January 1, 2016 and threats “to shut down all operations” in the sector.

Yahaya said several items were recovered from the suspects, including 28 detonator cords, one pistol, two pistols, 196 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, one round of nine-millimetre ammunition, a live cartridge and five daggers, 15 handheld radio sets, 18 phones, 203 SIM cards belonging to three major network providers, five swimsuits, two headlamps, a laptop, two ipads and a camera.