Special troops of the Nigerian Navy on Tuesday night 7th and early hours of Wednesday 8th January attacked suspected sea pirates who kidnapped foreign sailors in Bayelsa state.
The troops engaged the pirates in a marathon gun battle and rescued two Russians and one Indian while arresting one of the pirates.
The pirates while abducting the foreigners on Thursday, killed four Nigerian Navy ratings.
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It was gathered that personnel of the Forward Operations Base (FOB) Igbokoda at its Awoye outpost had been laying siege since the incident of the attack and killing of the naval personnel at Agge in Bayelsa state.
Having received intelligence at about 11 pm, of an approaching speed boat suspected to be carrying kidnappers and victims of kidnapping, the naval Special Forces were deployed in some gunboats to the entrance of the Sea.
On sighting the naval gunboats, the kidnappers opened a volume of bullets on the navy.
It was however gathered that the naval forces in a tactical manoeuvre, not to hurt the kidnapped victims, trailed the suspects who beach landed at a nearby creek and fled into the bush.
Thereafter, the general environment was combed with support of community youths and backup of naval personnel from Idi-Ogba and Abereke outpost.
Consequently, one of the suspects named Martins Egenuvhe from Olopa Community in Bayelsa state was arrested with a rifle. After some hours, three (3) of the foreign nationals were rescued and have been evacuated to a naval base for further investigation.
