A 17-member gang accused of murdering an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC has been apprehended.

NSCDC Spokesperson Afolabi Babawale announced on Monday in Abuja that the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, in collaboration with sister agencies, carried out the operation. The syndicate had been on the watchlist of the corps and Tantita Security Service for its role in attacks on oil and gas installations.

Investigations linked the gang to the Jan. 12 attack on a base jointly operated by NSCDC and Tantita Security Service, where an Assistant Superintendent of the corps was shot dead. The assailants also stole a speedboat and firearms during the assault.

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The suspects were further implicated in the Jan. 1 attack on the residence of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri.

Recovered items from the gang included an AK-47 rifle, empty magazines, military uniforms, and boots. Babawale stated that investigations were ongoing and that the suspects would soon face prosecution.

He praised NSCDC Commandant-General Ahmed Audi for providing logistics that enhanced the squad’s effectiveness in combating illegal bunkering and other criminal activities.

NAN