A soldier attached to the Joint Military Task Force code named Operation Restore Hope was on Monday shot dead and a boat driver sustained gunshot wound after a heavy gunfire with suspected sea pirates along the Ogbia-Brass route of the Nembe waterway of Bayelsa State.
The soldier, according to report, died few hours after the attack at the Medical centre of the Agip Brass terminal in Brass Local Government area of the state.
It was gathered that the soldiers, who were travelling on duty exchange journey to oil facilities in the Nembe axis, ran into a robbery operation by suspected sea pirates on a press enter boat.
Eyewitnesses said that the sea pirates abandoned their victims and opened fire on the commercial boat conveying the soldiers.
The JTF spokesman, Lt.Col. Mustapha Anka, confirmed the heavy exchange of gun fire between JTF troops and suspected sea pirates.
According to Anka Mustapha, “The detachment of JTF personnel troops of the Joint Task Force Operation PULO SHIELD patrolling along Ogbia-Brass route were attacked at Orukiri Fishing Camp in the early hours of the day.
“A soldier was wounded during the incident while the rest returned back to base safely.”