Gunmen suspected to be pirates have attacked an oil barge along the waterways of Lutegbene, Ekeremor Local Government Area, Bayelsa State
It was gathered that the gunmen, who launched the vicious attack killed four soldiers escorting the barge and two civilians.
Others in the ill-fated vessel were said to have escaped with gunshot wounds by diving into the water and swimming to safety.
The incident, which happened on Sunday night, reportedly unsettled the community as troops were said to have mobilised to the area demanding residents to produce the perpetrators.
Multiple sources, who confirmed the development, said angry soldiers had started burning some houses in the area following failures by the residents to identify the suspects.
A source from the council, who spoke in confidence, said the soldiers were escorting the barge from Port Harcourt in Rivers State to Warri in Delta State when it came under attack.
He said: “The soldiers were escorting a barge when gunmen appeared on speedboat and opened fire on them. They killed four soldiers and two civilians. Others were injured.
“As I am talking to you, soldiers are burning down some houses in the area because they asked the residents to produce the killers”.
Spokesman for the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe, Eromosele Unuakhalu, could not respond to calls on his mobile.
