Troops kill four suspected militants in Rivers, promise to crush criminals
N’delta youths seek full control of modular refineries
TROOPS of the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, Operationdeltasafe (OPDS), have reportedly killed four suspected militants in a gun-battle during an attack on Tuma House Boat in Rivers State.
The attack on the house-boat came on the heels of an attack few days ago on a mili- tary checkpoint at Ogboubagbene in Bomadi Local Council of Delta State by suspected militants where a soldier was killed.
The Deputy Force Commander, Brig.-gen. Kevin Aligbe, who disclosed this during a press briefing at the Command’s Headquarters in Yenagoa, noted that one civilian, said to be a boat driver, died in the course of the attack.
According to him: “Some faceless criminals attacked our troops deployed at Tuma House Boat in Rivers State at about 0430 hours on Wednesday. The bandits were repelled by vigilant troops and they suffered heavy casualties with four dead while few of them ran into an adjoining creek.
“Efforts are ongoing to fish them out and ascertain the actual number of the criminals killed during the duel. Unfortunately, four soldiers were injured while one civilian died. Let me reiterate that this operation will do everything within the law to crack down on these criminals and their sponsors wherever they are.”
Meanwhile, the Niger Delta youths have demanded inclusiveness in the operation of all modular refineries in region.
The Youth President-general of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Mr. Ovie Igho Anthony, who spoke yesterday in Abuja, said the Niger Delta youths recently concluded on taking a position to be key players in modular refineries. He said in view of their experiences of the oil blocks in the hands of non-indigenes, they had concluded that they wanted to be in control of modular refineries in region.
Anthony, therefore, stressed the need for the Federal Government to open all the seaports to create employment opportunities for youths nationwide and in the Niger Delta.