NEDU MARK, Yenagoa
Gunmen suspected to be sea pirates terrorizing the waterways of Akassa in Brass, in Bayelsa state have killed a Nigerian Naval officer.
The pirates numbering three who attacked the crew in a speed boat shot sporadically and killed the Naval officer who was on a routine check point duty.
The deceased officer was gunned down on Saturday between the hours of 7.00 and 7.30 am, left others scampering for safety.
A close security source told our correspondent that the gunmen on reaching the checkpoint had earlier raised their hands in compliance with the security regulations at the waterways before opening fire on the Navy crew while they were attending to other passengers’ boat.
The pirates on killing the officer zoomed off into the creeks to escape arrest by the police or men of the JTF.
The remains of the naval officer who worked under the FORMOSO division of the Navy in Brass area has been recovered and deposited at an undisclosed morgue in Brass Island.
Activities of pirates in the waterways of Bayelsa State has been on the increase in recent times.
Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa state Police Command, Asinim Butswat, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP who confirmed the killing said the Naval officer was shot dead by three man sea pirates in an attack at Akassa.
Butswat said the suspected pirates attacked a government jetty at Ogbokiri Naval base in Brass local government and killed the officer on duty.
He said neither the police, the Joint Military Task force JTF nor the marine police were yet to perfect arrest on the pirates that killed the officer.
The PPRO also told our correspondent that the identity of the Naval officer was not made public as at the time of this report.
