The Central Naval Command, Yenagoa, on
Saturday said it seized
a vessel laden with 600,000 litres of suspected
illegally refined automotive gas oil also known as diesel.
A statement issued by Lt. Cdr Edward
Yeibo on behalf of the command’s Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) said that
two of the four suspected oil thieves were arrested while loading the
barge with diesel.
He further reiterated the Navy’s Zero
Tolerance to crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, illegal oil bunkering
and other sundry crimes in the Niger Delta Region.
According to him, the operation, which
led to the arrest of the suspects, was in line with the Chief of Naval
Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas’s strategic directive to the
Navy.
He quoted the Commander, Nigerian Navy
Ship SOROH Commodore Habib Usman, as saying that a barge and five wooden
boats laden with about 600,000 metric tonnes suspected to be illegally
refined Automated Gas Oil and 2 suspects were arrested.
Usman said the suspects were arrested by
the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH around Beama community in Nembe Local
Government Area in the waterways within Bayelsa.
The wooden boats were suspected to be
used to convey the illegally refined Automated Gas Oil from the refining
points to the barge for loading.
“As of the time of the arrest one of the boats had finished trans-loading its product into the barge.
“Consequently, the personnel of Forward
Operating Base FORMOSO with gunboats and tug boat towed the barge to its
jetty for further investigation.
“However, the wooden boats were
destroyed, the two suspects are in custody for preliminary investigation
and prosecution,” Yeibo was quoted in the statement.
He added that the FOC, CNC Rear Admiral
Mohammed Garba had assured that the Navy will make the sea lane of
communication accessible for all legitimate users and frustrate maritime
criminalites in its Area of Responsibility.
According to him, there is no hiding
place for crude oil thieves as the Navy will continue to sustain patrols
in the maritime environment.
NAN
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