Five military personnel feared killed as Arepo vandals strike again

Suspected pipeline vandals struck afresh yesterday at Arepo,Ogun
State.
No fewer than five military personnel were feared killed in the
attack,coming about four months after seven officers of the
Department of State Security (DSS) were ambushed, killed and
allegedly buried in shallow graves by vandals at Ishawo , Ikorodu in
Lagos State.
The latest attack occurred at Wawa area of Arepo, said to be the new
den of the criminals who have recently come under severe pressure
from the joint security Anti-Pipeline vandalism operation codenamed
AWATSE.
Coordinated by the Defence Headquarters, operation AWATSE is made
up of personnel from the Navy (NN), Army (NA), Airforce (NAF),
Police, DSS and the Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
It was gathered that the criminals launched a reprisal against the
security agents who dislodged them on Wednesday.
Security operatives had stormed the area in the wee hours of
Wednesday following a tip off that vandals had caused a pipeline
explosion while siphoning fuel.
It was gathered that the criminals who had loaded a tanker as well as
dozens of jerry cans , engaged the operatives in a gun duel but were
soon overpowered.
The tanker and other stolen products allegedly caught fire, while some
of the vandals who survived were said to have retreated.
But the criminals, it was gathered, regrouped on Thursday night,
started a fire and while the military operatives headed towards that
direction to know the cause of the inferno, they were ambushed and
killed.
Three corpses were said to have been retrieved last night while two
were still missing.