By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Calabar
Two former militants, who had embraced the amnesty programme of the federal government, were on Friday paraded by the Nigerian Navy for allegedly belonging to a notorious gang of pirates that have been operating within the Eastern territorial waters.

Parading the two suspects at the Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Calabar, Flag Officer Command, FOC, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Usman Jibril, said the two former militants whose names were given as Alambulo Werighour and Gabriel Dressman belong to the gang that had been terrorizing the people within the maritime territory.

Admiral Jibril said that the personnel of the command from NNS Jubilee Ikot Abasi in Akwa Ibom State while on routine patrol, discovered a base operated by pirates at Edowik Fishing Camp in Eastern Obolo LGA of the state and arrested the suspects.

“The Naval personnel stormed the camp where two of the suspected pirates were arrested. Among the arrested was the deputy gang leader popularly known as Alambulo. The other being Mr. Dressman. Both of them are beneficiaries of the federal government amnesty programme”, he said, adding, “The gang was suspected to be responsible for series of sea robberies, acts of piracy, arms smuggling and terrorization of fishing trawlers and other vessels along the waterways of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States

“The deputy gang leader, Alambulo is also suspected to have participated with the group that attacked the Atlas Cove jetty in July 2009 which claimed the lives of several naval personnel, including an officer of Commander’s rank.