News Obiaks News

Daredevil gunmen at the weekend invaded a military post manned by men of the Joint Military Task Force, Operation Pulo Shield at Kolo Creek Flow Station that belongs to Shell Petroleum Development Company in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, killing one oil worker before carting away several high calibre military weapons including General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) from the security agents stationed there to provide security.

It was gathered that the soldiers guarding the oil facility were caught napping as the gunmen invaded the military post stationed at the entrance of the flow station, successfully disarmed them before proceeding to carry out their mission. During the operation, an oil worker identified as Austin Ikechukwu Igwe was shot dead at point blank range without provocation even as the men went about their operation unmolested.

Igwe was said to be an uncle to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Youth and Employment Generation, George Turner. There was no report of any gun battle between the hoodlums and the soldiers. Following the ease of the operation, authorities at the Operation Pulo Shield Headquarters are now trying to unravel the mystery behind the ease with which the armed men cart away the heavy weapon.

The gunmen were said to have arrived the facility in a black coloured Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), stormed the post, carted away arms and ammunition, operated within the flow station which houses over 100 oil workers before zooming off unchallenged. According to a JTF source, “It was still a mystery how the gunmen stole the weapons. What we learnt was that the gunmen who rode on an SUV, stopped close to the army post, walked majestically into the post and dismantled the General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG). They took the GPMG and other rifles and ammunition, entered their vehicle and zoomed off.”

On the killing of the staff of the SPDC, the source claimed that the gunmen may have killed him because he recognised them, saying that there was no reasonable excuse for the killing. According to a relation of the deceased: “We heard that unidentified gunmen had attacked Shell facility and that our brother who was on duty fell to their bullets, we got here and found out that it was true. The pain is too much to bear. This is tragedy for us. I am short of words,” he cried.

Also commenting, George Turnah in his post on the development said: “My uncle, Mr. Austin Ikechukwu Igwe, who works with SPDC in Imiringi in Ogbia local Government Area of Bayelsa State, left his office in the early hours of today heading home to meet with his children who barely see their father because of the nature of his job was shot dead right in front of SPDC gate in cold blood.”

The spokesman of OPS, Lt.-Col Isa Ado, after several calls to his mobile phone said he was not in Bayelsa and would respond when he comes back.