Niger Delta crisis: Why troops arrested community leader in Delta — Naval source

Authorities of the Nigerian Navy have denied being the brain behind the Monday arrest of chairman of Ogulagha community, Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, Captain Solomon Prebor.

He was, according to a naval source, rather arrested by troops attached to Operation Delta Safe (OPDS).

Although Lt. Col. Olaolu Dauda, spokesperson for OPDS promised to get back to TribuneOnline when contacted on Thursday, a senior naval officer from NNS DELTA, said Capt Prebor was arrested for questioning over the suspicion that he has a squad of boys who perpetrate bombing of oil and gas installations in the Niger Delta region.

The naval officer said the community leader was arrested on Monday by OPDS troops in Bayelsa and brought to the naval base in Warri for safe keep.

The suspect, the navy source added, was thereafter transfered to Abuja for further interrogation on the allegation that he was mobilising his footsoldiers to vandalise oil and gas facilities.

Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Ogulagha community, Henry Agegiga, who confirmed the arrest, alleged that his chairman was kidnapped by the troops.

He accused the OPDS of keeping the suspect away from the reach of his family before he was surreptitiously “smuggled” to Abuja from the naval base, Warri.

Capt Prebor was reportedly picked up at about 6:00p.m on Monday and taken to Warri to answer a few questions.

“He was arrested around 6:00p.m by navy people.

We didn’t know what happened, but they said they wanted to ask him few questions.

We know them, but we don’t know their names.

They came from their camp at Ogulagha.

Maybe someone wants to lie against him, ” Agegiga, the PRO had disclosed to TribuneOnline on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, in June 2016, picked up five leaders of Ogulagha community over the activities of dreaded Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

Since then, Oghulagha community had been on the radar of security agencies over attacks on crude oil pipelines by militants.