Oil thieves shoot 2 soldiers in Rivers

The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, said that two of its soldiers from 29 Battalion, Billie, have sustained bullet wounds in an encounter with oil thieves in Feropkakama, Rivers State.

The Spokesman of the Division Col. Aminu liyazu in a press statement issued in Port Harcourt yesterday evening said one of the soldiers was critically wounded by bullet shots while the other one sustained minor injuries.

He said that the wounded soldiers had been evacuated to a medical facility in Port Harcourt and they were responding to treatment.

He said the suspected criminals on sighting the soldiers on patrol opened fire on them, and that in an effort to repel the suspects the soldiers sustained bullet wounds.

He said troops of 6 Division Garrison, Port Harcourt on routine anti-bunkering patrol to Elechi and Abonnema Wharf discovered and destroyed several quantities of suspected illegally refined Automated Gas Oil.

He said, “Troops of 29 Battalion Tactical Headquarters, Bille, Rivers State encountered armed illegal bunkerers short of Feropkakama a notorious bunkering site, who on sighting the troops, opened fire. The gallant troops repelled the attack and pursued the scampering criminals deep into the creeks with many of them sustaining gunshot wounds. Unfortunately, two brave soldiers were wounded in action, one of them critically but both are responding positively to treatment.”