About 150 suspected militants might have been killed in the ongoing joint military operation in riverine communities affected by recent spate of criminal attacks in Lagos and Ogun States.
The affected communities had come under the siege of hoodlums suspected to be Ijaw militants, with about 50 residents reportedly killed in the past weeks, while few others were kidnapped.
The development has led to the desertion of some of the affected communities by residents as many of them continued to leave in droves until last Thursday when the military commenced a raid on the camps of suspected militants.
Speaking with Sunday Sun reporter, a local security source told our correspondent on phone that casualty recorded on the part of the militants as at yesterday afternoon might not be less than 150.
“The casualty as at yesterday as we were told was about 114 but this morning we heard that more of them have been killed and that the figure may be up to 150,” the source said.
Asked if there was any incident involving civilian casualty, the source said: “I cannot say anything on that but all I know is that people have continued to leave some of these areas perhaps out of fear.”
The Lagos State police Public Relations Officer, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, on the other hand dismissed the fear of possibility of civilian casualty.
Badmos said: “It is a wrong impression to be talking about civilian casualty because the operation is taking place deep in the creeks.
“It is not in the communities.”
. Sunday Sun.
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