Yenagoa—Operatives of the anti-kidnapping and sea robbery squad of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, have arrested six suspected pirates and recovered cache of arms in the creeks of Bayelsa State.

The arrest followed two separate attacks on JTF troops and other commuters along Sangana and Santa-Barbara waterways off the Atlantic coast of the state, in which some soldiers and a boat driver lost their lives.

The suspects, among them four siblings, were nabbed during a week-long aggressive day and night raids, and stop-and-search on the waterways by operatives of JTF.

Items recovered by the JTF operatives include three Browning Machine Gun, with registration Nos 1981 with stand, B572 Banel No Z90323 with stand, HMG – 50MG ST Kinetics Serial No 2405PM with sitting and its links ammunition buried under ground.

Others are one AK-47 rifle, one G3 rifle with No G310D792 and She rifle with No T67439 and Wooden Dummy rifle, three gunboat batteries, one HP laptop computer, one Police fragmental jacket, 1 x 200 horse power engine, empty cases of 12.7mm ammunition of HMG gun, one search light with batteries, one bag containing boat tools, one Nokia G6 mobile phone, two rifle butts and one plastic toy pistol.

The arms, according to JTF, were recovered at Ukubie in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

Parading the suspects, all indigenes of Bayelsa State, in Yenagoa, the outgoing spokesman of JTF, Colonel Mustapha Anka, said the arrest of the suspects had brought peace to the waterways ahead of the 2015 polls.

He said: “The manhunt was launched on the suspected sea robbers that attack JTF troops and waterways users in Sangana and Santa-Barbara waterways in Bayelsa and Rivers states. Since the arrest of the criminals, the normal peace that existed in the region had returned in the entire waterways.

“The JTF command wishes to reassure the good people of the Niger Delta and Nigerians not to fear as JTF is on top of the situation. The recovery of the arms and ammunition as well as arrest of the suspected sea robbers was an indication that miscreants have been curtailed.

“The command, under the leadership of Major General Emmanuel Atewe, further reiterates its commitment at safe guarding the region before, during and after the 2015 general elections.”