Soldiers attached to the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have raided a suspected oil bunkering and militant camps at Afiagbene in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta.
The raid yielded no arrest as the troops found nobody on the camps.
In a statement e-mailed to The Trent on Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Nigerian Army spokesperson, Colonel Sani Usman said that the army was providing humanitarian assistance to the people of the Nigeria by way of free medical treatment alongside its “show of force” and raids of the creeks of the oil-rich region.
Usman said the raid was part of the field training exercise on the day 4 of the ongoing operation nicknamed, ‘Operation Crocodile Smile’ in the Niger Delta.
He said the troops, however, recovered two generators, one locally made double barrel gun, one dane gun, three live cartridges and two pumping machines.
Other recovered items, he said, were one 32 inches LG television, one Kenwood amplifier and 4 X 50 litres of liquid suspected to be crude oil at Ayakoromo junction.
“Troops of 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have entered Day 4 in the field training exercise nicknamed “Operation CROCODILE SMILE” with quite a number of activities that involved continued humanitarian assistance through free medical outreach, show of force, patrols and raids in the creeks,” the statement said.
“Earlier today, Monday 29th August 2016, the troops with help of Nigerian Navy helicopters, their speed and gunboats, carried out raid on suspected oil bunkerer and militant camps at Afiagbene, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, there was no contact made.
“However, they discovered 2 generators, 1 locally made Double barrel gun, 1 Dane gun, 3 live cartridges, 2 Pumping machines, one 32 inches LG Television, 1 Kenwood amplifier and 4 X 50 Litres of liquid suspected to be crude oil at Ayakoromo junction,” Usman concluded.
