A soldier attached to the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt and two personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command, were killed on Saturday night at Gio-Ogoni in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State and their guns were carted away by the rampaging criminal gang, consisting of cultists and illegal oil bunkerers.
The kingpin of the notorious criminal gang, a young man, was also gunned down by the security operatives, as confirmed yesterday evening by the Spokesman of NSCDC, Rivers command, Akin Oguntuase.
Oguntuase also disclosed that the criminal’s body had been moved to Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland and seat of Khana LGA of Rivers, where it would later be handed over to the police, with NSCDC operatives on standby to witness the handing over.
The murdered security personnel were guarding an oil pipeline, near the main tarred road leading to Gio.
The 6 division’s Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, at 1:35 p.m. yesterday, said: “I have just received a similar report (on the Gio-Ogoni incident). However, I am in contact with our men on the ground and we will soon get a clearer picture of the situation,” but he had not got back, as at press time.