Pipeline vandals Thursday night laid ambush for the anti-pipeline vandalism Joint Task Force (JTF) in Arepo area of Ogun State, killing five operatives.
The operatives were believed to be naval personnel.
As at Friday, only three bodies of the slain personnel had been recovered.
The incident, believed to be a reprisal attack, occurred barely 24 hours after the JTF comprising Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Army and the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) launched a series of attacks on the pipeline vandalism syndicate in the area, which led to arrests and startling discoveries.
Earlier reports said the vandals were siphoning petroleum products from a burst Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipeline when the JTF sneaked in on them. They were said to have opened fire on the JTF personnel but later bowed to their superior firepower, abandoned their trucks and containers filled with the siphoned petroleum products and fled.
During its routine patrol of the area Thursday night, the JTF reportedly heard an explosion in the creeks. In their bid to ascertain where the explosion came from, they were reportedly attacked by the vandals said to have used the explosion as a bait.
Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu said investigations were ongoing. He said, “All I can tell you is that investigation is ongoing. I do not have the details and cannot tell you hearsay. I suggest you contact the DHQ because the operation is under them.
“All participating officers are personnel of the DHQ, they were drawn from other services and so, I cannot tell you whether it was navy, army, Airforce or police. Only the DHQ can authoritatively comment on this.”
It would be recalled that a similar incident occurred last year, where six operatives were reportedly killed by vandals with their bodies yet to be recovered. This is coming on the heels of the continued disappearance of security operatives assigned to patrol the area.
-Vanguard