The Nigerian Army has ambushed fleeing Boko Haram insurgents in Pulka, Borno State, and killed two of them.
This is contained in a statement by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sanni Usman, in Abuja on Saturday.
Usman said that the troops, which were on blocking positions, shot three terrorists and killed two while one escaped with gunshots.
He said that the troops also recovered one AK-47 rifle with registration number S 77411 and a General Purpose Machine Gun number FN 131908.
Others were one motorcycle, one bicycle, five Fabrique Nationale (FN) rifle magazines.
one AK-47 rifle magazine loaded with 28 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition.
The others were 67 rounds of 7.62mm linked (NATO) ammunition, and Tecno brand of mobile telephone handset with NEXTTEL SIM card, as well as sacks of foodstuffs.
He said the troops had continued their routine operations of maintaining vigilance to prevent fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from sneaking out of Sambisa forest through the Pulka axis.
Oil theft: Navy impounds vessel laden with 600,000 liters of diesel in Bayelsa creeks
The Central Naval Command, (CNC) Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Saturday, seized a vessel laden with 600,000 litres of suspected illegally refined automotive gas oil also known as diesel.
This is contained in a statement by Lt. Cdr Edward Yeibo on behalf of the command’s Flag Officer Commanding (FOC).
Yeibo said that two of the four suspected oil thieves were arrested while loading the barge with diesel.
He further reiterated the Navy’s Zero Tolerance to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta Region.
According to him, the operation, which led to the arrest of the suspects, was in line with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas’s strategic directive to the Navy.
He quoted the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH Commodore Habib Usman, as saying that a barge and five wooden boats laden with about 600,000 metric tonnes suspected to be illegally refined Automated Gas Oil and 2 suspects were arrested.
Usman said the suspects were arrested by the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH around Beama community in Nembe Local Government Area in the waterways within Bayelsa.
The wooden boats were suspected to be used to convey the illegally refined Automated Gas Oil from the refining points to the barge for loading.
“As of the time of the arrest one of the boats had finished trans-loading its product into the barge.
“Consequently, the personnel of Forward Operating Base FORMOSO with gunboats and tug boat towed the barge to its jetty for further investigation.
“However, the wooden boats were destroyed, the two suspects are in custody for preliminary investigation and prosecution,” Yeibo was quoted in the statement.
He added that the FOC, CNC Rear Admiral Mohammed Garba had assured that the Navy will make the sea lane of communication accessible for all legitimate users and frustrate maritime criminalites in its Area of Responsibility.
According to him, there is no hiding place for crude oil thieves as the Navy will continue to sustain patrols in the maritime environment.
