From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Troops attached to the Joint Task Force, Operation PULO SHIELD (ODS) reportedly killed four suspected militants in the wee hours of Wednesday in a gun battle at Tuma House Boat in Rivers State.
The attack on the Tuma House boat came on the heels of an attack on a military base at Ogboubagbene, in Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State by suspected militants.
The Deputy Force Commander, Brig.-Gen. Kevin Aligbe, who disclosed this in a press briefing at the Command headquarters, in Yenagoa, noted that one civilian working on the House boat 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 while few of them ran into an adjoining creek.
“Effort is ongoing to fish them out and ascertain the actual numbers 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.”
Aligbe, who seized the opportunity to shed light on the operations at Ogboubagbene community in Bomadi Local Government Area pointed out those communities must not condone of harbour criminals.
He advised them to kindly oblige to reveal the identities of these criminals as they will be smoked out from their hideouts in order to face justice.