The five pipeline surveillance workers that were arrested by the Joint Military Task Force in Delta State last weekend and misrepresented by a section of the media as members of the dreaded Niger Delta Avengers have been released.
The five were arrested by the soldiers who combed the area in search of the avengers who had blown up the Chevron oil platform in the southern parts of Delta State.
Sources close to the military authorities said they were released on Wednesday night, May 18, 2016.
The communities housing the oil firm had protested the arrest of the five, saying they are staff of Chevron who were on a surveillance of the oil pipelines when the soldiers swooped on them and took them to their base in Koko, Delta State.
The five released include Samuel Emiko and Alfred Timedi, (Itsekiri), Isaac Edinde, Henry Arogboritse and Kelvin Mordi (Ijaw).
One of the community leaders that raised dust over the arrest and called for the release, Godspower Gbenekama, told The Trent that “Yes, I am aware that they released them on Wednesday night, I want to thank you people in the media for crying out for us.
“The released workers were asked to report next Wednesday,” a security source, who also confirmed their release said.
According to him, the 19th Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Koko handed them over to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, from where they moved them to Bayelsa State and released them on Wednesday.
Chevron was said to have played a significant role in their release, just as they were said to have met with their family members.
