By Frank Edima
The Nigerian Army in Bakassi LGA has commenced intensive search to fish out militants marauding the community on bikes with dangerous weapons.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that some militant groups in Esighi, Bakassi hijacked a Cameroon bound boat filled with new motorcycles on the sea, sometime in August and sold the bikes at cheap prices to buyers across the local government.
CrossRiverWatch further gathered that after incident, criminals dressed in military gear and operating on bikes, have been terrorizing Ikang, a waterfront community in Bakassi, with some of the criminals traced to the high sea hijack of the bikes laden boat.
According to a security agent “These boys stole a boat filled with motorcycles on the sea from an exporter on board to Cameroon. They came back to sell them to people in the community. The remaining ones are the one they use for illegal patrol in the community. They have even gone ahead to cause more nuisance in the community.”
Currently, buyers of the stolen motorcycles are on hot seats as the Army is said to have apprehended some and are on the trail of others while vowing not to spare anyone found culpable.
A member of the community who did not want to be named told CrossRiverWatch that the criminals opened fire in their community on Tuesday last week.
He said “Last week Tuesday was hell. These boys drove about 20 of these bikes, dressed in army camouflage and entered Ikang. They all had chain bullets on them so they started shooting in the air. This happened around 7pm so people wouldn’t see their faces.”
According to a close source, security agents in Bakassi in a recent closed door meeting concluded on a full battle on militant groups with a view to exterminating their rein in the community.