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Militants Arrest Pirates in Bayelsa


This Day (Lagos)


NEWS
6 January 2008
Posted to the web 7 January 2008
Lagos

The peace pact signed between militants, the Federal and the Bayelsa State
governments in Yenagoa, last December, is now yielding results.

This followed the arrest of two pirates by militants in the Southern-Ijaw local
government area of Bayelsa who handed them over to the police yesterday.



The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who accompanied the Niger Delta
Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee to Opuama community in the area reports
that the suspects were arrested by the militant camp of Prince Igodo.

Spokesman of the Igodo camp who simply gave his name as Commander Gbeingalagala
at Opuama, said the suspects stole a fiber speed boat with a Yamaha 75 horse
power engine on it on November 3 2007 at Enewari community also in the local
government area.

Geingalagala said the militants swung into action because of the recent peace
agreement they signed with government, more especially that the incident took
place in their territory.

He said the suspects were arrested following a tip-off at Ipirigbene community
on December 27, 2007 and kept in their custody at Opuama to enable them to
inform the peace committee of Bayelsa State chapter.

The spokesman said the suspects escaped two days ago before they were
re-arrested on Friday.

The station officer at the Opuama Police Post who gave his name as Friday
David, confirmed that prince Igodo's boys made the arrest and handed the
pirates over to the police.

Chairman of the Niger Delta Peace and Conflict Resolution committee, Chief
James Jephtah, said this was one of the fruits of the peace agreement
government signed with militants.

Represented by Chief Timipre Oruromughe, a member of the committee, the
chairman said the agreement with militants had yielded results, including the
release of the Bayelsa State deputy governor's father and the state's
Accountant General's father that were kidnapped late last year.

NAN reports that the suspects who gave their names as ThankGod Boutain (25) and
Ebimunu Sergeant (18) confessed to the crime and said they were sent by a woman
in Brass who promised to buy the speedboat.

The owner of the speedboat, Mr Joseph Ebikabowei,told NAN that the speedboat
and engine were stolen from where it was berthed at Enewari water front on the
fateful day. Meanwhile, the suspects have been taking to Yenagoa, and handed
over to the State Security Services by the peace committee.


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