The oil workers in the Agbaramatu area who were mistaken for the rampaging Niger Delta Avengers by military operatives have been released.
The five pipeline surveillance workers seized by the Joint Task Force, JTF, in the Niger Delta, last Friday, in connection with the bombing a Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, pipeline at Makaraba community, Gbaramatu clan, Warri South-West Local Government Area, Delta State, have been released.
A security source told Vanguard that they released them on Wednesday evening.
Released were Samuel Emiko and Alfred Timedi, ( Itsekiri) and Isaac Edinde, Henry Arogboritse and Kelvin Mordi (Ijaw), arrested by soldiers while on surveillance duty for a contractor to Chevron.
Ijaw leader, Chief Godspower Gbenekama, who is among the leaders that raised dust over the arrest confirmed to a correspondent, “Yes, I am aware that they released them on Wednesday night, I want to thank you people in the media for crying out for us.”
“The released workers were asked to report next Wednesday,” a security source, who also confirmed their release, told a reporter.
He said: “The 19th Battalion, Nigerian Army, Koko, handed them over to the Delta State Police Command, Asaba, from where they moved them to Bayelsa State and released them on Wednesday.”
To avoid backlash against the company following a 72-hour ultimatum by its seven Gbaramatu-Ijaw host communities, top officials of Chevron Nigeria Limited, CNL, which facilitated their freedom, met with their families, Wednesday, in Warri, and assured them that the company was handling the matter.