13 policemen feared dead in Bayelsa boat attack

It was a black weekend in Bayelsa State as 13 policemen were feared dead in a boat attack along the creek of Azuazuama in the Southern Ijaw local government area of the state.

26 others were killed in separate attacks in Adamawa, Plateau and Borno States.

The Bayelsa incident, which jolted the security circle in the predominantly riverine state, Sunday Vanguard learnt occurred at about 5p.m. on Friday.

It was also the subject of discussion among security operatives on the Brass Island in Brass local government area where the Mobility Command of the Nigerian Air Force held a two-day free medical services for the people to ameliorate the impact of recent floods that ravaged the state.

Though the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) had threatened attacks on the nation vast oil installations in Delta from mid night of Friday, it was, however, learnt that the Friday attack which claimed the lives of the policemen may have had nothing to do with the threat.

The deceased operatives, a security source said, they were heading to the coastal Azuzuama community in the deep mangrove swamp of Southern Ijaw council area when they came under attack. The boat in which they were traveling was reportedly sunk by their assailants, causing them to drown.

It was reliably learnt that the policemen were on their way to provide security at the wake-keep of the mother of an ex-militant leader, said to be locked in feud with his boys over their alleged abandonment.

The ex-militant leader, it was learnt, had relocated to Abuja after embracing the Federal Government amnesty leaving behind his boys.

Sensing trouble, the ex militant leader was said to have approached the police authorities in Yenagoa for police protection during the burial ceremony.

The assailants, who allegedly  got wind of the police deployment, were said to have laid ambush for the boat conveying the security operatives along the Azuzuama creek, killing thirteen of them while three reportedly escaped.

The state police public relations officer, Alex Akhigbe, DSP, could not be reached as he was not picking his calls but the state commissioner of police, Mr. Kins Omire, when contacted, said he was in a meeting and his line went off.

‘I counted 13 bodies’

In the Adamawa incident, gunmen attacked Midlu village in Madagali local government area, killing 13 and  leaving several others injured.

An eye witness said the attack took place on Friday night while the residents were still mourning after some attackers stormed the area and opened  fire on  residents, resulting in the death of 11 people on the spot.

The eye witness said the gunmen, numbering about forty, attacked the residence of the Deputy Governor of the state, Bala James Ngilari, who hails from the village.

-more on vanguard

Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Sunday claimed that its fighters killed the 12 policemen whose boat was ambushed in Azuzama, Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State, on Saturday and that the deaths were to teach the security forces a lesson for scorning its warning.

The militant group had last week announced that it would resume attacks in the oil rich Niger Delta by Friday to avenge alleged collaboration between the Federal Government and South Africa to jail its former leader, Henry Okah. Security agencies had dismissed the threat and said they were ready for MEND which tagged its promised resurgence of attacks, ‘Hurricane Exodus.’

MEND, in an online statement on Sunday, also disclosed that two of its fighters died in the exchange of fire with security agents. The crossfire lasted for 40 minutes.

It said it intercepted and engaged government forces in a fierce gun battle and killed the security agents in the process.

According to the militant group’s statement signed by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, MEND said it would remain resolute in its resumption of hostilities. It also expressed the hope that Saturday’s clash would serve as a lesson to the Joint Task Force and stop it from making ‘careless’ utterances.

The JTF however on Sunday said its operatives had now been placed on the alert to forestall further violence in the restive Niger Delta. Osundefender