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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Navy in its relentless war against crude oil theft has arrested 10 suspected crude oil thieves in Bayelsa State. The Central Naval Command (CNC), Yenagoa, said the suspects were on board MV DALAL when it was intercepted and arrested on suspicion of having on board products suspected to be illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil ( AGO).
Commanding Officer of CNC, Commodore Emmanuel Okechukwu Enemor, who represented the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, during the parade and subsequent hand-over of the suspects to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the command headquarters, disclosed that preliminary investigations revealed that the vessel operates under the registered name and licence of SOLABSTAR OIL and Gas limited.
According to him, captain of the vessel confessed on video that he lifted 120,000 litres of illegally refined AGO at Akassa for delivery to Kirikiri Jetty, Lagos.
Enemor, who said the vessel was a fishing trawler before it was converted to a motor tanker for the purpose of illegal bunkering, noted that at the time of arrest the vessel did not have the Nigerian Ports Authority bunkering permit, ship’s log, Naval Headquarters approval and Joint Military Task Force (JTF) certificate of registration.
While saying that the laboratory analysis of a sample of the product from the vessel indicated that the AGO was of poor diesel quality, he said the Navy was handing the suspects to the EFCC so that proper legal action can be instituted against MV DALAL.
He explained that the suspects and the exhibits would be handed over to EFCC for further investigation and prosecution, adding, however, that the Navy would retain custody of the vessel pending determination of the case.
He also said the success recorded by the Navy in recent time can be attributed to the deployment of three new ocean boats, NNS Badagry, NNS Okpoku and NNS Bomadi, as well as the redeployment of NNS Nwamba to the command by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, in his determination to fulfill the mandate of eradicating crude oil theft.
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