Metro

Military smokes out militants in Arepo

Published

8 years ago

July 29, 2016

Militants, who have become a source of terror to riverine communities in Ogun and Lagos States, got a dose of their own pill on Thursday, as the military, in a combined operation bombarded their hideout in the Arepo area of Ogun State.

Arepo is on the outskirts of Lagos and has been the scene of consistent pipeline vandalism and series of attacks on riverine communities.

According to reports, many people were feared dead, though the number of casualty in the operation that involved the Army, Navy, Air Force and the police, is not yet clear.

It is not also clear those who died included civilians living around the creeks of Arepo.

Reports also has it that some Air Force helicopters hovered around the creeks at about 5.30pm before it was followed by sporadic gunshots.

In the process, about 30 houses were destroyed.

A source close to the operation said the militants are responsible for the attacks on residents at Elepete and Igbolomu areas of Ikorodu. He added that the operation is an ongoing one.

Speaking on the operation, a resident, Nmadu Chionye, said: “We heard the gunshots and took cover. But when we contacted the security men, they told us they were in charge. We learned several persons were killed, but none can tell the exact number.”

The Defence Headquarters last night confirmed the operation but denied that there was aerial bombardment.

According to the Acting Director of Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, there was no aerial bombardment of Arepo because of the critical infrastructure which involved oil and gas pipelines playing pivotal services to the nation’s economy.

He further stated that what happened was that the military and security agencies, in a joint operation codenamed Operation Awathe, under the Command of the Defence Headquarters, carried out a normal security operation to wipe out pipeline vandals and oil and gas criminals bent on sabotaging the economic assets of the nation.

Abubakar said: “Arepo is of critical importance to the nation and the infrastructure on ground has cost the nation huge resources to put in place. It is true we have received complaints and petitions about the activities of vandals and criminals causing problems and destroying pipelines and siphoning crude.

“But the military did not and cannot bomb the critical economic infrastructure in place there,” he said.

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews

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