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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Wednesday, December 14, marked the end of the road for Justice Golubo aka General Eagle, who had been terrorizing oil companies in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Before troops of the Joint Force Operation Delta Safe (ODS) stormed his hideout at Captain Ayeni Road, Kpansia to arrest him, General Eagle had masterminded the destruction of several oil facilities to sabotage the operations of the companies and the nation’s economy. He had also engaged in illegal oil bunkering and kidnap of high profile individuals especially oil company workers from Nigeria Agip Oil Company and other oilfield servicing companies.
General Eagle’s last operation was the bombing of an oil riser at Golubokiri along Obama Brass Pipeline in Bayelsa State. His modus operandi included planting explosives around oil facilities and sending threat messages to blow up the facilities and kidnap workers if certain demands were not met.
Eagle who confessed to the crime said he had been driven to engage in the alleged criminal activities after his failed bid to secure a surveillance contract for the protection of the oil facilities in Golubokiri, a fishing settlement he hails from.
His words: “My father is from the Golubokiri fishing settlement. In 2013, I applied for a surveillance contract job and the company asked if I was a militant. I said no, and they said they would not give me the job. Out of anger I decided to go into militancy and I recruited boys and I asked them what we should do; we all agreed to start blowing up oil facilities. I worked briefly with the Department of State Services so that I would understand some security issues which we used in our operation.”
Investigations revealed that General Eagle could have blown up to 50 pipelines around the Brass area and had been involved in the kidnap of at least 50 persons and killing of several people along the Brass waterways.
Residents of Captain Ayeni road were not aware of the hideout of General Eagle until the day the military and other security agencies in Sector 2 stormed the place to arrest the kingpin. There was no resistance because the ODS troops had taken care to set up rings around him and in that way neutralised him.
The Commander of the Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman, since his assumption of duty has been working with intelligence officers in the Joint Force to track down criminals on the wanted list of the military.
An obviously elated Suleiman gushed to newsmen: “I am glad to announce to you that a notorious kingpin identified as General Eagle has been apprehended. The criminal and his group had at various times masterminded the destruction of oil infrastructure in order to sabotage the operations of the companies and the economy of the nation; engaged in illegal bunkering and kidnap of high profile victims. The self-acclaimed ‘General Eagle’ recently organised and blew up one of the oil company’s risers at Golubokiri along Obama Brass pipeline in Bayelsa state. He claimed responsibility for the heinous crime. The criminal was involved in the planting of explosive devices and threatened to blow up facilities at Golubokiri, Mansonkiri and other areas. It would interest you to know that he has been on the watchlist of security agencies for some time now. The tenacity and resilience of Operation Delta Safe troops and personnel contributed to his arrest. After gathering actionable intelligence, troops carried out surgical military operation at his hideout at Captain Ayeni, Kpansia, Yenagoa. He was arrested with three other suspects. Items recovered from his hideout include seven mobile phones, 15 identity cards, an ATM card and a jack knife. Suspects are being interrogated for further action.”
Suleiman also disclosed that Mr Funebi, a major commander under the notorious militant leader, called VIP was also arrested. Funebi who is believed to be in charge of arms for sea-pirates, kidnappers and militants in Brass area was picked up following a tip off.
Sunday Sun investigations revealed that General Eagle and Funebi had given useful information to their interrogators, thereby enabling the military to extend its dragnet to arrest the sponsors of the bombing of oil facilities in the region.
