Metro
How four soldiers died in boat mishap
The Nigerian Army’s Operation Crocodile Smile in the Niger Delta ran into troubled waters on Monday, when four soldiers who were part of the operation died in a boat mishap in Brass, Bayelsa State.
The soldiers, who were being conveyed to the Brass Waterfront died after their boat capsized due to turbulent tides at the Atlantic fringes of Brass.
The soldiers also lost their service riffles in the incident.
Sources in the community, who said search was still ongoing to recover the corpses of the remaining soldiers and their riffles after the recovery of initial two, said the incident happened in the early hours of the day some distance from the Brass waterfront.
Read also: Niger Delta: Wike okays military operation
The soldiers would not have died if not for the high tide, as youths in the area and other soldiers made efforts to rescue them, the source said.
“In recent times, we have been noticing increased movement of soldiers in our area. The boat that capsized was conveying a new batch of soldiers to the water front. I was going to dispose of refuse at the waterfront when I saw uniformed soldiers struggling to rescue their colleagues in the capsized boat.
“When the confusion subsided, four soldiers were found to be missing with their rifles and other military gear. Some others that were rescued lost their rifles and were struggling to get out of the water.”
Sources in the community also said military authorities have solicited for the help of local divers and youths in the search for the missing soldiers.
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