5 Workers Arrested As Suspected Niger Delta Militants Released

      THE five pipeline surveillance
workers seized by the Joint Task Force,
JTF, in the Niger Delta, last Friday, in
connection with the bombing a Chevron
Nigeria Limited, CNL, pipeline at Makaraba
community, Gbaramatu clan, Warri South-
West Local Government Area, Delta State,
have been released.
A security source told Vanguard that they
released them on Wednesday evening.
Released were Samuel Emiko and Alfred
Timedi, ( Itsekiri) and Isaac Edinde, Henry
Arogboritse and Kelvin Mordi (Ijaw), arrested
by soldiers while on surveillance duty for a
contractor to Chevron.
Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama,
who is among the leaders that raised dust
over the arrest confirmed to Vanguard, “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, told our
reporter.
He said: “The 19th Battalion, Nigerian Army,
Koko, handed them over to the Delta State
Police Command, Asaba, from where they
moved them to Bayelsa State and released
them on Wednesday.”
To avoid backlash against the company
following a 72-hour ultimatum by its seven
Gbaramatu-Ijaw host communities, top
officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL,
which facilitated their freedom, met with
their families, Wednesday, in Warri, and
assured them that the company was
handling the matter.