By Isiaka Mustapha
Suspected sea pirates early on Sunday launched multiple attacks on some workers with the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) in Okoroma and Ogbokiri–Akassa communities of Nembe and Brass local government areas of Bayelsa State, killing two workers of the Oil Company and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The skipper of their boat, who is an indigene of Okoroma community, has been declared missing by the locals.
Sources said the ambush that occurred at Ogbokiri-Akassa in the Brass Local Government Area saw six Nigerian oil workers who were busy doing maintenance job close to their platform kidnapped and taken away at about 5an on Sunday around Manifold in Bayelsa.
The spokesman for the NSCDC, Bayelsa command, ASC1 Ogbere Solomon, who confirmed the incident, said only one personnel of the command was killed in the ambush, while two others who were missing had been found and were currently receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, the state capital.
“Yes, our officers were ambushed and attacked by some unknown pirates while on their lawful duty of providing protection to some Agip oil workers close to Obama manifold in Okoroma community of Nembe Local Government Area. One person was killed while the other two who were missing have been found and are responding to treatment,” he said.