… As Police kill 2, arrest 4 armed robbery suspects in Anambra***

…Troops thwart IPOB/ESN attack on Imo communities, uncover IEDs***

Suspected pirates have abducted an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and four contract staff working at the Conoil field in Koluama 1 in Bayelsa.

The newsmen learned on Monday that the five victims were kidnapped while on their way to Koluama 1 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

The four contract staff are employees of a catering contractor to Conoil.

They were seized along with supplies from Yenagoa for the personnel at Conoil location in Koluama 1.

A family source to one of the seized oil workers told newsmen on Monday that the abductors had contacted the family, demanding N25 million ransom.

Meanwhile, youths in the community have raised a search party and making efforts to secure the release of the abducted persons.

The spokesman of the NSCDC in Bayelsa, Solomon Ogbere, confirmed the development.

“I can confirm that we are in receipt of the report of kidnap. One of our officers and four civilians were kidnapped while heading to their location where they protect Conoil facilities.

“They were all in mufti while returning to their base when they were attacked.

The investigation is ongoing to track down the culprits,” he said.

Newsmen recall that less than a week ago, suspected pirates attacked and killed an NSCDC official and two oil workers, as well as kidnapped seven others in the creek of Nembe local government area of the state.

The state government had imposed a curfew and banned the use of speed boats with 200 Horse Power Engines on all waterways in the state.

Efforts to speak with the spokesperson of Conoil, Mr Abiodun Azeez, was not successful as he neither answered calls nor replied the text message sent to his mobile phone.

In the meantime,  the Police in Anambra has said that two armed robbery suspects were killed during an exchange of gunfire with its operatives while no fewer than four other criminal suspects were arrested.

This is contained in a statement issued to journalists in Awka on Monday by ASP Toochukwu Ikenga, the Police Command’s Public Relations Officer in Anambra.

Ikenga said the deceased were identified as Chinedu Okeri and Chukwuebuka Orizu, both members of a three-man gang, while one of them, Abuchi Osim, was arrested alive.

He said that pistols and live ammunition were also recovered from the suspected criminals.

The police spokesman said the suspects engaged the police in a gun duel when they confronted them while trying to rob a commercial bus around Idemili flyover, Onitsha-Owerri Road on Dec. 5.

“The hoodlums who were about to rob passengers travelling in a Toyota Sienna van opened fire on sighting the police.

“Operatives responded swiftly gunning down two of the armed suspects while the third suspect was arrested.

“Police recovered two locally made pistols, five cartridges and the tricycle that brought the gangsters to the scene of crime,” he said.

Ikenga said a follow-up operation led to the arrest of three other suspects in their hideout in Atani Ogbaru Local Government Area.

He gave the names of the suspects as Chinedu Ogunna, 21, Arinze Chukwu, 16, and Ebuka Ayazie, 18, all of whom confessed to be members of a cult group and robbery gang.

The PPRO said the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Mr Echeng Echeng had upgraded the policing strategy of the command which had enhanced its capacity to respond to any emergency and security challenges.

He said that the police would not relent in safeguarding lives and properties and assured the people in the state of the commitment of the command to ensure that residents enjoyed a hitch-free Yuletide.

In another development, troops on Monday thwarted an attempt by outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its Eastern Security Network (ESN) members to unleash mayhem on two communities in Imo.

The outlawed IPOB/ESN members attempted to unleash mayhem on Mgbidi and Awo-Mmamma communities within Oru West Local Government Area of Imo when troops conducting Exercise Golden Dawn stepped in.

Director, Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Enugu.

Nwachukwu said that the group targeted people of the two communities for refusing to observe its illegal “sit-at-home’’ order for Monday, Dec. 6.

“The swift response of troops compelled the attackers, mounted on two Sienna Buses and a Toyota Hilux truck to abandon their mission and withdraw in disarray.

“Troops are currently on the trail of the criminals,’’ he stated.

The army spokesman said that in a separate development, troops uncovered four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by members of IPOB/ESN on Orlu-Owerri Road.

“Vigilant troops, who were on a reinforcement mission to Mgbidi/Awo-Mmama detected the IEDs planted at about 15 meters apart on both sides of the road and safely defused them.

“No casualty was recorded during the diffusion.

“The troops also recovered four wraps of unexploded ordnances, one motorcycle battery, two-vehicle alarm devices, one detonator, wires and batteries.

“The road has been safely cleared and motorists have resumed plying the road,’’ he added.

Nwachukwu urged all law-abiding citizens to go about their normal businesses and disregard the illegal “sit-at-home’’ order by the proscribed group.

“We appeal to the good people of Mgbidi, Awo-Mmama and Omuma to report any suspected member of the irredentist group, who may be seeking a safe haven, to relevant security agencies,’’ he stated.