The attack at the Nembe military base in Bayelsa State is attributed to suspected pirates.
The wave of insecurity and persistent attacks on security forces and population are gaining much momentum in many parts of Nigeria with the latest case being suspected pirates attacks at the mixed military and police Joint Task Force (JTF) base at Nembe in Bayelsa State on Friday, August 7, 2015.
Police spokesman Asinim Butswat, Reuters reports, said suspected pirates travelling by speedboat killed four soldiers and a policeman and stole weapons in a raid at the military base that is located in the oil-rich southern Delta region of Nigeria. "Four speedboats loaded with unknown gunmen, suspected to be sea pirates, attacked the JTF base at Nembe waterfront... killing four soldiers and one policeman," Reuters quoted Asinim Butswat as saying. Defence spokesman Colonel Rabe Abubakar on his part, is quoted as saying "suspected oil bunkerers" (oil thieves) carried out the attack.
"The defence headquarters has confirmed the incident that happened in our location at Nembe Jetty, near Ogolomabiri Community in Bayelsa State, where suspected oil bunkerers attacked our location." News 24 quoted the Defence spokesman. "The military will deal decisively with anybody or group involved in this and similar acts of attacks or sabotage on the nation's economy," News 24 quoted Colonel Abubakar as having declared.
Oil bunkering is the process of hacking into pipelines to steal crude then refining it or selling it abroad, has long been a major cost to Nigeria's treasury, which depends on oil for around 70 percent of its earnings, reports say. After the deadly raid, a combined military and police team was said to be searching local creeks to find, arrest the attackers and recover the stolen arms. The JTF was set up to fight rampant theft of crude oil and piracy in southern Bayelsa State. Niger Delta region is notorious for attacks by oil thieves and kidnapping of mostly oil workers for ransom with a concrete example being the local traditional ruler, King of Tombia who was kidnapped in July by gunmen and is yet to be freed.
