Bakassi militants abduct 28 oil workers




•Group says company reneged on agreement •JTF rescues victims, four Naval personnel killed

From JUDEX OKORO, Calabar

Twenty-eight oil workers were abducted by Bakassi militants in Cross River State at the weekend.

The victims, who are employees of Sinopec, an oil services company in neighbouring Akwa Ibom State, were kidnapped by a militant group, Lactop Marine Force, operating in the Bakassi axis of the state.

They were said to be on their way to a Shell location in the Atlantic when the militants struck.

However, rescue came their way less than 24 hours after the abduction.

Investigations by Sunday Sun revealed that they were later rescued by the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Pulo Shield, in collaboration with the Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, Cross River State.

It was also gathered that the militant group abducted the oil workers following their employer’s failure to abide by the terms of agreement with the group on the provision of security to the oil firm early last year.

Confirming the abduction of the workers on telephone, spokesperson of Lactop Marine Force, Samuel Okoye, said: “We arrested the workers because their company reneged on earlier agreement that we should still provide security even as they have relocated to Uruan in Akwa Ibom State.

“But shortly after they moved down there, they turned their back on us.

“So, we had to strike to force them to do something.”

Okoye explained the reason behind the group’s action: “While at Ikang, Bakassi Local Government Area, they paid us to guard them and escort their workers whenever they went for oil exploration and services and when they left Ikang in October last year, for Uruan, they dumped us as if we are nobody.

“Even when we tried to talk to them on the issue, they bluffed us.

“So, it is a lesson to them to be wary of their activities.

“We are not after oil workers at the sea.

“We are after the Cameroon gendarmes, who have been terrorizing Nigerians on our waters.

“There are several companies operating on the sea and we have never arrested any of them except those who violate our terms.”

However, acting on a tip-off, the JTF launched an attack on the militants’ camp yesterday and rescued the kidnapped workers.

The Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Olufemi Ogunjimi, who briefed newsmen in Calabar, said the JTF raided the militant group’s hideout in the early hours of the day, adding that the group allegedly killed a naval officer and three ratings.

Ogunjimi said the militants also carried out activities that dented Nigeria’s image at the Ikang and eastern water ways

Describing members of the group as criminals, who had nothing to do with the agitation for the reclaiming of Bakassi, which was ceded to Cameroon by the International Court of Justice, he said, “They are the type of people that give the country very bad image.

“That is how far we have gone and the operation continues and in no distant time we will get through with them.”

The FOC described Lactop, the leader of the group, as a criminal that heads a gang that kidnaps for ransom, engages in piracy and killing of innocent people, including uniformed personnel.

The Commander of JTF, Major General Johnson Ochoga, said they had been on the operation to flush out the gang in the last three days and that they were given the opportunity to denounce their criminal activities, but they did not embrace the offer before the JTF closed in on the camp.

Ochoga said there was no casualty when JTF struck, though Lactop and his gang might have suspected that the security operatives were on their trail.

He said one of the 28 persons abducted, out of panic when the troop approached the camp, ran away and that his whereabouts had not been known.

Also speaking, the Brigade Commander, 13 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Calabar, Brigadier General Shehu Yusuf, whose men were in charge of the land operation, said no life was lost.

Yusuf said Lactop would not be harmed if he surrendered himself.http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/bakassi-militants-abduct-28-oil-workers/

They should start kidnapping Cameroonians.

Nigeria, Nigeria, Nigeria . . . . . What have thou become?

Anyway, a happy ending to the story.

The militants need to hire a contracts lawyer in future to sort out any breach of contract they percieve.

hahah! Naija no dey carry last. Dey have already started.

Litmus: They should start kidnapping Cameroonians.

i agree

In that case,you guys should just anticipate the release of another backyard statistics saying "NIGERIA HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF KIDNAPPINGS EVER IN THE HISToRY OF MANKIND"

Litmus: They should start kidnapping Cameroonians.

hahahahahahahahaha

Which one is Bakassi militants

Nor be Niger-Delta militants again

Or dem don do rebranding?

Na waoo. Bakassi Militants. Oil Theft, environmental Degradation, Militancy, Kidnaping et al. Will this Region ever know,what the meaning of peace ?

Now Cameroon will have a taste of what it is to be an Oil producing Nation.

They should know what its like to to have a stake in the creeks of Niger Delta. Let me see how Good their Gendarmes really are....

Confirming the abduction of the workers on telephone, spokesperson of Lactop Marine Force, Samuel Okoye, said: “We arrested the workers because their company reneged on earlier agreement that we should still provide security even as they have relocated to Uruan in Akwa Ibom State.

“There are several companies operating on the sea and we have never arrested any of them except those who violate our terms.”

It's not a kidnap but an arrest

Hmmmmmm.

Cool!

Is it by force to sign a deal with a company? The truth is that armed robbers have resulted in using avenues or loopholes in the country as way of stealing.
They are nolonger fighting to own bakassi but to protect people working there. See soldiers in the making..
I laugh in spanish...

So..... Would this be a Nigerian or Camerounian problem?

ohhh lovely, here we go again. they shouldnt stop o

Another torouble coming up in Bakassi area now o

well we knew it would come to this..

supported!!! They should target politicians next time(another terrorists might ensue from the south with the aid of U.S), as well as pirating against Nigerian oil ships that crosses their path, that is the lot of an uncaring father who wastes his resources on senseless things while neglecting things of import, his naughty son will have to attack him sooner or later. Besides U.S always stealthily support such a group with arms, owing to their oil wells. And if care is not taken, U.S might cause so much social and political upheaval there to come aboard and have a closer military base beside 'the most populous black country in the world', and Africa will be their slave for life. I dey laugh, Nigerians no de think nou. That is conspiracy theory for you, which was used to start this so called Boko Haramic insurgency( to dis-stablise Nigeria) to make their prophesy a reality( Nigeria to divide by 2015). And all the dumb masses do, is to complain and dream of utopia which will never come.

Abeg jtf should allow dem (bakassi militants) do their work, they said they're after the gendarmes of cameroon.
I seconded with them, boko haram and niger delta militant should also join dem.

It ls a welcome development. I never see where one country get state inside another country

Only Ghanaian RULE can HELP Bakassi!!

Just another wahala

Heard they have formed a republic.
they are not only Nigerians but Cameroonians and some other country people.
I wonder what will happen if their demand for their own country be given to them as they are already more than 9 tribes.

this is why i will applaud Nigeria for not contesting the bakassi land with Cameroon because Nigeria is not yet through in trying to become a one country and you could imagine what will happen if Bakassi is added.
OMG that's too much headache.

Bakassi people hear it now... make una take am easy oo.

Cameroon under attack by JTF, i thought Bakassi now belongs to them, they should fight back

I see tough tough wars coming from that zone soonest!

Kidnap or abduct folks because they don't want your services anymore

Litmus: They should start kidnapping Cameroonians.

if they try am?! Them no go see money ooooo.