Four construction workers kidnapped in Bayelsa

Four construction workers kidnapped in Bayelsa

Armed men have abducted four construction workers at a dredging site along the Nembe waterways in Nembe Local
Government in Bayelsa State Sunday, a witness has said.

The four workers are Nigerian nationals attached to Setraco Nigeria Ltd, the construction firm handling the Bayelsa
Delta flank of the East-West road.

The workers were reportedly kidnapped on Saturday night along the Agbakabriye by the gunmen at the construction site of the Ogbia-Nembe road.

The abducted workers were identified as Caleb Agene, Otuke Magic Kingdom, Gabriel Oghene and Godwin Odukpong.

Bayelsa State has witnessed a spate of kidnapping in recent months.
Setraco took over the East West road job after construction firm, Julius Berger, was compelled to abandon the contract over security concerns.

The abduction of the construction workers is coming few days after the setting up an 11-man Marine Security Task Force by the Bayelsa State government.

The task force is being headed by Ebikabowei Victor-Ben, a.k.a Boy Loaf, a former leader of the Movement for the
Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND.

“The dredging crew members were whisked away from their dredging base by the armed men who came in a speedboat. We
heard sporadic shooting Saturday night but we never it was from the dredging firm base,” a witness said.

The Southern Ijaw Communities and Nembe creeks have become notorious for violent crimes in the state in recent times.

Kidnappers and sea pirates have been operating freely in kidnapping, sea piracy, pipeline vandalism and oil theft.

The activities of the hoodlums also extend to neighbouring communities of Azuzama and Ekeni in Ekeremor Local Government Area.