Nigerian Airforce bombs kidnappers' hideout

The Nigerian Airforce has launched assault on creeks along the Cross River and Akwa Ibom waterways, which are said to be hideout for sea criminals and kidnappers.

Report says the bombardment on the creeks has been on for the past three days, with the Nigerian Airforce plane, M9 24 gunship being used to flush out the criminals.

Speaking to Vanguard on Thursday, June 18, Air Commodore Charles Ohwo, Commander 207 Mobility Group said the bombardment is in response to the increasing wave of criminal activities in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.

He said several people have been attacked and kidnapped in Cross River recently, with the most recent being an attack on the Marine Police Station at the Inyang Edem Beach on the night of Sunday, June 14.

Ohwo said, “the increasing wave of crime along the Cross River and Akwa Ibom Waterways prompted the Chief of Naval Staff Air Marshall Adesola Amosu through the Commander of 207 Mobility, Air Vice Marshal F B Nyoyoko to instruct the 207 Mobility Group deploy M9 24 gunship to bombard the creeks to rid the area of these hoodlums.

“The Airforce is willing and ready to deploy its speed and mobility advantage to carry out continuous raids on these criminal hideouts and operational base around the Cross River and Akwa Ibom Waterways extending to Bayelsa State.”

He said the exercise has been successful with the cooperation of the police, army and navy and that another aircraft, M1 17 will soon be deployed to boost the capacity of the mobility group in bombarding the criminal hideouts.