Soldiers from the 3 Battalion of the Nigerian Army in Effurun, Delta State, on Monday apprehended two suspects believed to be associates arrested ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo, in Warri, Delta State.
This came as the Nigerian Navy (NN) said it has also arrested a suspected member of the Niger Delta Avengers believed to be their major logistics supplier.
The group which had claimed responsibility for the attacks on Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Chevron pipelines in the region.
According to yesterday that the Tompolo’s associates were arrested at about 11a.m in an operation that was executed without firing a shot.
It was gathered that the soldiers stormed the hide out of the suspects identified as Simon Bebenimibo and Bomboy Oluwa in three trucks.
“We stormed the hideout after intelligence revealed their abode. We have been on their trail for a while now but executed their arrests on Monday,” the source disclosed.
Although, he did not reveal reason for their arrest, the two suspects were known associates of Tompolo believed in security circles to be behind the spate of bombings of oil facilities in the renewed agitations in the region.
Tompolo had however denied severally that he had linkage with the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the group claiming responsibilities for the attacks on oil facilities.
Since the arrest, THISDAY gathered that many of the aides of the ex-militant leader had gone underground for fear of being apprehended by security agents.
The Commanding Officer of 3 Battalion, Major Monday Anzaku, did not pick or respond to text message for confirmation of the arrest.
