Panic has gripped frequent travellers on the East/ West Road over an ambush on Tuesday which claimed the lives of four soldiers and two drivers who were in the convoy of Daewoo company.
It was learnt that the soldiers drawn from the 5 Battalion of the Nigerian Army were on escort duty with the Daewoo company accompanying some of their expatriates’ workers to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State when they were attacked by gunmen along the Ahoada/ Obua axis of the East/ West Road.
The gunmen after the operation kidnapped two Koreans and whisked them to an unknown destination through the forest.
“Gunmen on Tuesday opened fire on a convoy of Daewoo company officials killing four soldiers and two drivers with the company They now abducted two Koreans in the process. The convoy was on its way to Yenagoa where there is Daewoo camp.’’
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 6 Division of the Nigerian Army / Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, South- South Operation Delta Safe, Major General Jamal Abdulssalam in a statement by Major Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations which confirmed the incident, condemned the killing and vowed to fish out the killers.
Danjuma was said to be on routine escort duty with an oil serving company when they were attacked.
He disclosed that troops have been deployed to the area to rescue the abducted oil workers and fish out the perpetrators.
The statement read in part, ‘’Troops of 5 Battalion on routine escort duty for an oil servicing company at Enweh West manifold, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State were attacked by suspected militants, at Emesu junction, along Amungboro -Emuphan road. Unfortunately, 4 soldiers were killed in action, with 2 other oil workers unaccounted for.
‘’The suspects allegedly escaped through the Emesu waterside, using the Orashi River. Troops are currently combing the general area to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act. Additionally, efforts are ongoing to ensure that the unaccounted oil workers are found.
‘’The General Officer Commanding, 6 Division, Nigerian Army/ Land Component Commander, Joint Task Force, South South, Operation DELTA SAFE, Major General Jamal Abdussalam, while acknowledging the supreme sacrifice paid by the gallant soldiers, strongly condemned this unwarranted attack. He reassured that efforts are ongoing to track down these criminals to pay for their crimes. Consequently, members of the general public are kindly requested to provide credible and actionable intelligence that could lead to the arrest of these criminals.
‘’The public is also assured that troops will not relent until all forms of criminalities, such as militancy, oil theft, and pipeline vandalism, are effectively eliminated within the Niger Delta the region.’’