Bayelsa Traditional Ruler, 3 Others Arrested Over Crude Oil Theft

A community chief whose name was not released and three other persons have been arrested for the theft of 2,000 metric tons of crude oil on the Akassa waterways in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. They were arrested yesterday over alleged involvement in the ownership of an unlicenced vessel. The Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta code named Operation Pulo Shield arrested the chief, who is from Twon Brass, after the crew apprehended on the seized vessel claimed he was their sponsor.

Five Expertriates Kidnapped Off Bayelsa Coastline Gains Freedom

Five foreigners kidnapped aboard a German ship off the Niger Delta region coast in Bayelsa have regained their freedom. Some yet to be identified gunmen abducted the five expatriates aboard an oil support vessel along Sagana waterways in Brass LocalGovernment Area of Bayelsa on April 26 2013. Kidnappings and killings carried out by pirates, and former militants have increased dramatically in the area until recent times. The deployment of 20 gunboats recently acquired by Bayelsa government by the security forces has failed to reign in the rampaging pirates even as Gov. Seriake Dickson rarely stays in the state to address the worsening insecurity in his domain, oftentraveling to Abuja the nation's capital to see President Goodluck Jonathan. The Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa Governor, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, assured that recent upsurge in kidnap of oil workers would soon be contained, assuring law-abiding residents in the coastal areas of their safety. Iworiso-Markson, reportedly said that the Seriake Dickson administration had a zero-tolerance policy for kidnapping in Bayelsa. Two persons arrested over two previous kidnapping are reportedly being prosecuted in the state. Joint Task Force (JTF) spokesperson, Lt.Colonel Oyenma Nwachukwu states further that the JTF was on the trail of the armed kidnappers who engaged troops in a shoot at Adagbarasa/Itagbene area recently SAHARA REPORTERS