Suspected sea Pirates have killed two naval officers, Lt. Cmdr Femi Fakiyesi, and one other along the Calabar waterways after a failed attempt to kidnap foreign expatriates working for an oil company, Addax Petroleum.
The incident, which occurred along the waterways in the Parrot Island has thrown the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigeria Navy into mourning.
Our correspondent learnt that the navy boat was escorting the Addax Petroleum stick boat tagged MV Well-Manned when the incident happened.
A source, Archibong Bassey, said the wounded naval officer was rushed to the Navy Hospital in Calabar but he later died due to bullet wound sustained during the gun battle.
“I was at the clinic when two naval officers were rushed in under critical condition. I later learnt afterwards that one died instantly and the other died later as a result of the injury sustained,” he said.
Findings also revealed that the sea pirates had attempted to intercept the Addax Petroleum boat in a bid to kidnap the foreign expatriates but met stiff resistance from the navy patrol escort boat.
Another source, who preferred anonymity, said it was likely that the sophisticated weapons used by the pirates was gotten from the last raid on the armoury of the Marine Police base in Calabar.
“How would the pirates be able confront navy if not for the sophisticated weapons they stole from the armoury of the Marine Police in Calabar,” he said.
Sea Pirates had in June raided the armoury of the Marine Police in Calabar and succeeded in carting away huge quantity of weapons and a gun boat.
Security operatives had recently lamented that creeks along the Calabar waterways have become hideout for sea robbers and kidnappers, while the spate of kidnapping in Calabar and environs is on the increase in recent times.
Reacting to the incident when contacted, The Eatern …Read More
Source:: New Mail
