After a dramatic gun battle with special troops of the Nigerian Navy on Tuesday, January 7, one of the sea pirates who killed 4 Nigerian Navy personnel and kidnapped three foreigners in Agge, Bayelsa state, has been apprehended.
The clash occurred when personnel of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operations Base (FOB) Igbokoda at its Awoye outpost received intelligence at around 11 pm about an approaching speedboat suspected of carrying both kidnappers and victims.
After days of laying siege to capture the suspects responsible for the deaths of 4 naval personnel under the jurisdiction of NNS Delta, an operations base in Warri, Delta State, the intelligence was realized.
Upon sighting the special forces deployed in gunboats at the sea entrance, the suspects initiated gunfire. The naval personnel strategically maneuvered the situation, choosing not to retaliate in a manner that might harm the kidnapped victims.
The sea pirates, after beaching their speedboat at a nearby creek and fleeing into the bush, faced a counter-attack launched by the special troops who received additional support from naval personnel at Idi-Ogba and Abereke outpost, as well as local youths who assisted in the community-wide search.
During the three-hour gunfire exchange with the sea pirates, three foreign nationals (two Russians and one Indian) were rescued and evacuated to a naval base. Additionally, a suspect identified as Martins Egenuvhe from Olopa Community in Bayelsa state was apprehended with a rifle.