The 16th Brigade of the Nigerian Army stationed in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, on Sunday, confirmed the arrest of 15 gunmen suspected to be political thugs, who allegedly had planned to disrupt Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections in the Southern Ijaw Local Government area of the state.
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 16th Brigade, Nigerian Army, Major Jonah Danjuma, confirmed the arrest in a statement in Yenagoa.
Danjuma said the intelligence-driven arrest led to the discovery of one general purpose machine gun, two 200-horse-powered speed boats and large quantities of ammunition.
Other exhibits include 16 mobile phones, seven handheld Motorola radios, five Motorola battery chargers, three wristwatches, five pieces of torchlight, four identity cards and the sum of N16,000.
In another development, the Nigerian Army has dislodged the gunmen, who attacked its patrol team at the Swali Market, Yenagoa.
According to Danjuma, the gunmen, numbering about seven, opened fire on the patrol team on sighting it, while one of the bandits attempted to snatch a rifle from one of the soldiers, adding that in the process, one of the bandits was neutralised, and the others took to their heels.
Danjuma, who said that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing bandits, added that the army patrol team recovered one locally-made pistol and two 9mm ammunition, one Itel phone and N8,350 from the hoodlums.
The army warned criminal elements brandishing arms to turn them in to the appropriate security agencies or be ready to face the full weight of the law