Ondo Navy imposes curfew in Ilaje

Four naval officers have been killed by suspected sea pirates in Gbagira community in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The naval officers were killed by the suspected sea pirates during a rescue mission to free three foreigners abducted by some hoodlums in the area.

The suspected kidnappers were said to have made away with the military rifles of the slain naval men and seven magazines after killing them.

The development, according to the Commanding Officer Forward Operating Base in Igbokoda, Commodore Danjuma Ndanusa, led to the imposition of curfew in the area in order to retrieve the seized weapons.

Ndanusa said the curfew became necessary in order to retrieve the stolen rifle and ammunition, saying permit is a threat to the people of the community.

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He said the naval authorities had met with the community leaders in the area, urging them to ensure that the four military rifles and seven magazines seized from his men during a gun duel at Gbagira village were produced.

He explained that one of the suspected sea pirates who was arrested in Awoye community confessed that the seized weapons were kept in the Gbagira community.

Ndanusa said: “We intimated the community heads on what is at stake. It is like sleeping on a time bomb. I told all the Baales to get all their youths and speak with them.

“That was why we did a total search and we found four telephones and one walkie-talkie belonging to the foreigners. I made this known to the four baales from the community.

“We also made a search on the boat they came with from Bayelsa, we were able to recover empty magazines from guns on the floor of their boat.

“We place a curfew in the four communities and on the activities on the waterway by putting pressure on them to produce the arms because it is a treat to the innocents in the community.”

The presence of the naval rating in the community paralysed both social and economic activities in the area as the naval officers vowed not to vacate the community without the seized weapons.