News
Alleged Militants Ambush NSCDC Patrol in Bayelsa, Kill One Officer
Chaos continue to escalate in Bayelsa State’s Southern Ijaw Local Government Area as gunmen, believed to be militants, ambushed a patrol team from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the Igbomotoru community. The deadly assault, which occurred on Friday, claimed the life of one officer whose identity has yet to be made public.
According to reports from community sources cited by Daily Trust, the NSCDC operatives were returning from an anti-illegal bunkering operation when their patrol boat was attacked near the volatile Koluama creeks—an area notorious for oil theft, illegal refining activities, and militant presence.
The gunmen, reportedly armed with high-powered weapons, opened fire on the security team in what has been described as a carefully coordinated ambush. The attack is suspected to have been orchestrated by pipeline vandalism syndicates and other criminal elements threatened by the Corps’ crackdown on illegal oil operations in the region.
One NSCDC officer was fatally shot during the firefight and later died from his injuries. Several other members of the team sustained varying degrees of injury and are currently receiving medical treatment in Yenagoa, the state capital.
The incident underscores the growing insecurity in the riverine parts of Bayelsa, where illegal bunkering has surged in recent months. The Igbomotoru community, surrounded by creeks and waterways, has become a hotspot for criminal operations due to its difficult terrain and limited state presence.
Just a week prior, suspected vandals targeted the Ogboinbiri/Obiobi 24-inch gas pipeline, a major installation owned by Oando Plc that supplies gas to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) plant in Bonny, Rivers State. The attack raised alarm over the vulnerability of critical energy infrastructure in the region.
It is also worth noting that Igbomotoru has previously been the subject of military interest. Last year, troops stormed the community in a bid to apprehend a militant leader accused of orchestrating the brutal killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama, Delta State, a crime that shocked the nation.
When contacted for comment, the spokesperson of the NSCDC in Bayelsa State, Solomon Ogbere, confirmed the attack but noted that he was still awaiting a full situational report.
“Sincerely speaking, we’ve received the information, but I am still waiting for the Officer-in-Charge (OC) to provide a comprehensive briefing. You’re not far from the truth, but I can’t speak definitively until I have all the details. By tomorrow (Monday), I should be in a better position to provide the full account, including the number of casualties,” he stated.
The latest incident has reignited calls for enhanced security patrols and better intelligence coordination in the Niger Delta to protect both lives and critical national assets from criminal exploitation.
The Osun State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has received thousands of decampees from the All Progressives Congress and other political parties into its fold.
The decampees, who are mostly from the Omisore Youth Support Forum (OYSF) joined the party at a ceremony held at party secretariat in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, on Wednesday.
The were received by the Chairman of the PDP in Osun, Hon. Sunday Bisi, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff and other party leader.
While receiving the decampees, Bisi renamed the group as Adeleke Youth Support Forum (AYSF) as they declared their support for Adeleke’s 2026 re-election bid.
One of the leaders of the decampees, Mr Francis Fasogbon said they were “inspired by the good governance delivered by Governor Ademola Adeleke”.
Hon. Dennis Agbo, representing Igboeze North/Udenu Federal Constituency in the 10th House of Representatives, has resigned from the Labour Party (LP) and defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Addressing aa gathering in his ward, Ezzodo, Agbo cited his admiration for Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubisi Mba’s performance, as the reason for his decision.
“I acknowledge Governor Mba’s outstanding work, and I believe it’s essential to support him,” Agbo said. “As a federal legislator from Enugu State, I’m joining hands with him to provide a link between the state and federal government, promoting the good work he’s doing to uplift our state.”
Agbo, who was elected on the LP ticket, expressed his desire to work with Governor Mba, citing the governor’s vision and achievements since his inauguration in 2023.
He also emphasized that the internal crisis and division within the Labour Party was part of the factors influencing his decision to leave the party and return to PDP.
The lawmaker invited his supporters and members of Labour Party to a formal ceremony marking his transition to PDP, scheduled for May 1, 2025, at the PDP State Secretariat in Enugu.
Governor Alex Otti says he is not bothered about the noise coming from members of the opposition parties in Abia State.
Otti said his critics should not be taken serious as they are not coming out to contest elections but to seek negotiations and relevance.
Governor Otti stated this while receiving the member representing Bende North constituency in Abia State House of Assembly, Nnamdi Ibekwe who recently dumped the PDP and joined the Labour Party, LP in Abia State.
“We are not bothered about the oppositions and their noise. There are different reasons why people show up for elections.
Sometimes, they just want recognition; that their names showed up for the primaries, knowing fully well that they will not win the election.
“Some of them also come for negotiations and then of course, some others also show up for projections; they look at themselves and say, ‘if I start the noise in 2025, maybe by 2040, they will know that I have been in the race and they will call me and recognize me’, so they are projecting themselves,” Gov. Otti explained.
Governor Otti said he is rather focused on doing the job the people elected him to do and respond to the noise of the opposition across the State.
He congratulated Nnamdi Ibekwe for dumping the PDP for LP, explaining that nobody pressured him to come over to the LP, reiterating that he does not emphasize much on political platforms.
Earlier while presenting himself to the Governor, the member representing Bende North constituency, Nnamdi Ibekwe said he was attracted to the Labour Party by the achievements of Governor Alex Otti which he described as unprecedented.
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