The Nigerian Navy yesterday explained that its resolve to use air power to dismantle vandals camps and shanties in the Arepo creeks in Ogun state was borne out of difficulty to access the terrain on water and land. In a joint Military operation code named “AWATSE” a Hausa word for ‘to scatter’ the first aerial bombardment was launched Thursday evening on Iroko creeks in Arepo.
It was gathered that the militants who have built a colony in the creeks attempted to repel the Military but were overwhelmed by the aerial bombardment. In their confusion, some of them were said to have mounted a GPMG weapon in two wooden boats , in an attempt to fire at the Military but were forced to abandon their weapons owing to the sporadic shots.
Unconfirmed report had in that lives were lost during the operation but the Flag Officer Commanding Western Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai stated while briefing journalists yesterday, that it was too early to ascertain the number of casualty, as nobody had been able to access the terrain either by land or by water.