An emerging militant camp in Delta State was on Tuesday destroyed by the Joint Task Force, under the 19 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Koko, Warri North Local Government Area of the state.
Despite the amnesty granted to militants in the Niger-Delta, leading to the disarming of many militant groups and a rehabilitation programme for the militants, it then emerged that some militants had been regrouping in the creeks of the state.
There was a gun battle between the soldiers and the creek boys, before the soldiers were able to succeed in destroying the camp and arresting a suspect.
The destruction of the camp was effected as a result of the abduction of five oil workers in an overnight attack on an oil facility in Bayelsa State by an unknown militant group, suspected to be regrouped militants who also said to be involved in the escalating spate of various illegal bunkering activities.
This major military onslaught on militant camp would be the first in Delta State since August 2009,the time when nearly all militant leaders and their foot-soldiers surrendered their arms with their camps destroyed after they agreed to embrace peace in a “cash-for-arms” amnesty brokered by late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
It was gathered that the camp was the remnant of ex-militant warlord, ‘General’ Ezekiel Akpasibowei-led notorious Egbesu Force, which was said to have been resuscitated, fortified and expanded.
Commanding Officer of 19 Brigade of Sector 1 of the JTF situated in Koko, Frank Etim, informed that the task force had been monitoring intelligence report on the presence of the militant camp in Adagbrasa/Itagbene in Warri North Local Government Area.
Etim, who could not give the name of the leader of the militant camp, said the camp was suspected to be that of ‘General’ Ezekiel that was apprehended during the amnesty days and had been resuscitated by this group of renegades.
According to him, the militant group could be linked to the recent abduction of three oil workers of the oil surveillance team on routine duty along the Benin River.
He said the exercise was carried out professionally and that the neighbouring communities suffered no civiilan casualty.