On Friday, members of the Nigerian Navy boarded a home in the Foropa hamlet, located in the Ijaw Local Government Area of southern Bayelsa, where they believed pirates were hiding out.
On Sunday in Abuja, the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Adedotun Ayo-Vaughan, said that activities to reduce piracy and crude oil theft have continued out of the Naval Base in Yenagoa.
He went on to say that Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa, as well as Friday’s exercise, were both efforts by NNS SOROH to reduce the availability of illegal weapons.
According to him, the base sent a squad of anti-sea robbery patrol officers out to the region from one of its naval security stations.
The alleged pirates saw the Nigerian Navy’s patrol team gunboats and hid in the bushes.
“The special anti-sea robbery squad cordoned and searched the area and recovered one general-purpose machine gun with 100 links and two AK-47 rifles.
One locally-made firearm, two Tavor magazines, eleven 7.62 (NATO) rounds, and two cartridge rounds from a pump-action gun were also found by the crew.
“Other recovered items were two 200-horsepower Yamaha engines, five Baofeng radios, a small Techno Android phone, one GPS phone, three small Techno phones and camouflage uniforms,” he claimed.
Ayo-Vaughan elaborated by saying that the camp was dismantled afterward to remove any hiding places for the criminals in the area.
To counter criminals who seek to subvert the democratic process, disrupt public tranquility, or breach hard-won maritime security, the Nigerian Navy will continue to execute sting operations.
“The service will continue to cooperate with stakeholders to achieve a peaceful maritime environment critical for legitimate business by law-abiding citizens,” Ayo-Vaughan promised.
Mismob Media