Operation Delta Safe: JTF arrests militants, discovers payroll.

The Joint Task Force, on Thursday, said its troops had arrested five suspected militants and destroyed several illegal refineries at various locations in Delta, Cross River and Rivers states.

It explained that the suspects were arrested in October in furtherance of its efforts to flush out militants and illegal bunkerers from the Niger Delta region.

The Deputy Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, Operation Delta Safe, Lt. Comdr, Thomas Otuji, said this in a statement on Thursday.

He said some of the illegal refineries were located around Opumami and Okogho creeks of the Warri South and Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State.

 Otuji said in the statement that the illegal bunkering sites were discovered by the JTF operatives from the Sector One and Four while on routine patrols of the area, leading to the recovery of several items, which the bunkerers used to refine stolen petroleum products.

“Bunkerers abandoned the site and fled on sighting the patrol boats”, 
 he said adding that 16 cooking pots, two Cotonou boats filled with crude oil and and wooden shelters were destroyed by the troops.

He named other items and weapons recovered at the sites as one carton of 70 mm ammunition, three pumping machines, two deep freezers, one generator and one 55 HP speedboats.

 He added that that the five suspected militants were arrested by troops of Sector 4 in the Bakassi and Akpabuyo Local Government Areas of Cross River State in the ongoing special military operation to flush out criminal elements from the state.

The militants, identified as Elijah Daniel and Francis Shedrack, were said to be members of a militant group, Bakassi Strike Force, which had claimed responsibilities for criminal activities in Cross River State.

They were said to have been apprehended while trying to sell two stolen high-power Outboard Boat Engines from boat operators.

A nominal roll containing 30 names of suspected members of a dreaded militant group, the Bakassi Strike Force (BSF) was also recovered by the troops.

He said the payroll was found when the troops stormed the hideout of the militants at Efut Esighi, Bakassi Local Government Area.

Otuji said the troops also combed another hideout of the militants at Creek Road by Slaughter in Anantigha, Calabar South, adding that the ODS was studying the names in the list to track and arrest them.

He said during the raids which were carried out in company with special boat services, the troop arrested three suspected militants including one Moses Okokon, popularly known in the creeks as Alomo.

He said when a Camry Toyota vehicle seized from Alomo was searched, sentry duty roasters, 73 wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and the payroll were found in the vehicle.

He said in Rivers State a detachment of Sector 3 destroyed illegal bunkering sites along Bille creek during a routine patrol.

“No arrest was made as bunkerers fled the site on hearing the sound of  patrol boats.
 Similarly, while on anti-illegal patrol at Ogbongha and Bille creeks at Bonny Local Government Area, troops found five illegal oil dumps with five drums of stolen crude oil.

“The troops also found one 85 HP speedboat, four pumping machine, one welding machine, three parks of welding electrodes, two compressors, one generator, six shovels, three handsaw, one manual jack and 10 bags of cement”, he said.


He also added that troops operating in Delta State foiled an attempt by kidnappers following distress calls by well-meaning Nigerians.

“Troops immediately swung into action and rescued the victims. One Mrs. Vanessa Ilepi and Mrs. Tega Okoro who were kidnapped at gunpoint along Amukpe in Warri.

“One of suspects Mr. Daniel Egbelu was arrested while two escaped. Effort is ongoing to apprehend the escaped suspected kidnappers. A locally cut-to-size made single barrel gun was recovered from the arrested kidnapper.

“Members of the public are therefore urged to provide useful information to own troops in order to apprehend these criminals. Operation Delta Safe will continue to ensure conducive environment for legitimate businesses to thrive within its joint operation area in line with its mandate”, he said.