Officers of the Joint Task Force (Operation Pulo Shield) and suspected Niger Delta Militants were engaged in a gun duel in Delta State leading to the death of no fewer than three persons.
The commander of the force, Alani Okunlola told newsmen yesterday in Warri that his men raided one of the camps of the militants in Benigboye where they opened fire leading to the gun battle between the two groups.
Parading a suspect allegedly arrested with various arms and ammunition, Okunlola said the operation took place in Benigboye community of Burutu Local Government Area of the state on September 5.
“My men raided a militant camp in Benigboye. On sighting the troops, the suspects opened fire which led to a gun battle that lasted for 30 minutes before they fled the camp. In the follow up operation on September 6, my troops, on getting information on the hideout of the suspected militants that attacked Odimodi community, launched a search operation and apprehended one Ebiwame Lamia.”
Okunola said that during preliminary investigation, Lamia confessed that he was in the camp during the previous raid, adding that three persons died in the gun battle while some escaped with bullet wounds.
The commander said the JTF was in search of the fleeing suspects and urged the people to assist the troops with useful information that could lead to their arrest.
He said that weapons recovered from the camp include medium machine gun, AK 47, light machine gun and AK 47 automatic rifle. Others were SMG, G3 riffles, one single barrel gun, and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and an identity card.
He said the recovered arms and ammunition were in the custody of his men even as the suspect, who claimed to be 17 years old, told reporters that he was a cook in the camp of the militants. [myad]
