An operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and four contract staff at Conoil field in Bayelsa State, kidnapped by suspected pirates on December 1, have regained freedom.
The spokesperson for the NSCDC in Bayelsa, Solomon Ogbere, confirmed in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday.
“Our colleague and four others abducted are back, and we are still on the trail of the hoodlums who perpetrated the dastardly act.
“We were supported by members of the community and sister security agencies.
“The command has always built a cordial relationship with members of communities where our men are deployed, and this helped us in this situation.
“We are still on the trail of the criminals and remain optimistic that they will be soon apprehended to face the law,” Mr Ogbere said.
NAN reported that the five victims were kidnapped on their way from Yenagoa to Koluama 1 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa.
The four contract staff are employees of a catering contractor to Conoil.
They were seized along with supplies for personnel at the Conoil location in Koluama 1.
Community youth in Southern Ijaw had raised a search party shortly after the abduction.
Armed men, on November 27, attacked and killed an NSCDC personnel and two oil workers, and kidnapped seven others at the creek of Nembe Local Government Area.
The state government had imposed a curfew on waterways in the state and banned the use of speed boats with 200 horsepower engines on all waterways.
NAN could not immediately get the reaction of the spokesperson of Conoil, Abiodun Azeez.
(NAN)
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