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From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Nigerian Navy in demonstration of its commitment to stamp out crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region has handed over nine suspected crude oil thieves to the officials of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Bayelsa State Command.
Commodore S.D. Atakpa, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH, who was represented by Lt. Cdr. Ola Babatunde, the Acting Base Information Officer NNS SOROH, handed over the suspects at the Central Naval Command Headquarters, Yenagoa, Bayelsa.
It was gathered that items recovered from the suspects are one locally made pistol, one welding equipment, a 7.5 KvA generating set and a grinding machine, which were confiscated and taken to the Base.
Babatunde explained that the nine suspects were arrested for involvement in illegal refining of stolen crude oil on March 28, 2022.
According to him, the arrest was made while a Nigerian Navy patrol team at the Forward Operating Base (FOB) FORMOSO was conducting anti-COT patrols along Phillip Camp Creeks in Akassa axis of Brass Local Government Area in Bayelsa.
He said during the period the team arrested a large wooden boat and also discovered an Illegal Refining Site, which had three metal tanks and over 150 sacks of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) jointly laden with about 20,000 Litres of the illegally refined product.
“On behalf of the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Idi Abass and the Commander NNS SOROH, Commodore S.D Atakpa, I wish to reiterate that the Navy in her commitment towards the fight against crude oil theft and illegal bunkering within the country’s maritime domain will continue to clamp on perpetrators of such nefarious activities,” he said.
Atakp who said the arrest of the suspects on March 28, 2022 is one of the numerous successes recorded by the Nigerian Navy in its ongoing operations aimed at ridding Nigeria’s maritime environment of all forms of criminalities in order to create a secure maritime environment for economic activities to thrive.
“In line with the Chief of the Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive 2021-05 which directed Naval Bases to curb all forms of maritime crimes within the nation’s waters, NNS SOROH and her subordinate units have been relentless in efforts aimed at arresting perpetrators of crude oil theft, Illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes in Nigeria’s maritime space.
“It is noteworthy that the Nigerian Navy remains committed in dealing with persons involved in these dastardly acts within Nigerian waterways,” he said.
The NSCDC while taking custody of the suspects commended the Nigerian Navy for the collaboration and synergy among sister security agencies in the Bayelsa State.
The Commandant, NSCDC Bayelsa Command, Mrs Christina Abiakam-Onuma represented by Mrs Christina Okafor, Assistance of Corps, Special Duty, Yenagoa reiterated the readiness of the Corps to carry out thorough investigation into the matter for possible prosecution.
She seized the opportunity to warn oil thieves and those engaging in vandalizing government facilities to desist or prepare to face the full wrath of the law.
