Navy hands over six vessels, 15 suspected oil thieves to NSCDC
THE Nigerian Navy in Port Harcourt, on
Sunday handed over six vessels and 15
suspected oil thieves to the Nigerian
Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC)
for prosecution.
Speaking at the handover, Capt.
Olusegun Soyemi, Executive Officer,
Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder,
said that the suspects were arrested for
their alleged involvement in illegal
bunkering.
He said that one of the suspects was
arrested while discretely discharging
about 108, 000 litres of diesel from a
large wooden boat into five vessels
without license, the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) reports.
“On October 20, we got intelligence
report about an illegal bunkering
activity at a private jetty situated
opposite the busy Slaughter Market
around Trans-Woji area in Port
Harcourt.”
“On arrival at the jetty, our troops
accosted five vessels and a large wooden
boat loading products suspected to be
stolen diesel.”
“The vessels, MV Denis, MV Faith, MV
Lum VII, MV Eliora, and FP Comfort had
no approval from Navy headquarters for
the transaction,” he said.
Soyemi said that the prime suspect, who
doubled as middleman for two
companies fingered in the case, had
provided useful information during
preliminary investigations.
He said that the owners of the vessels
were subsequently invited for
questioning and had tended their
statements.
Soyemi added that the owners of the
vessels would further be investigated by
the NSCDC while 20 other suspects
arrested at the jetty were released after
it was discovered that they were not
involved in the case.
The officer said that the Navy also
handed over a 3,000 metric ton ship and
its 14 member crew who allegedly
attempted to steal crude oil from a major
pipeline in the state.
“On October 2, troops of NNS Pathfinder
impounded a 3,000 metric ton ship, MT
Everest, which anchored at a location
(few meters away from a pipeline)
without any official reason to anchor
there.”
“We discovered the vessel which had
been in operation since 2007 had no
certificate of registration and clearance
from the Nigerian Ports Authority and
approval from the Navy in all of its
operations.”
“While examining the vessel, we
discovered that the cargo tanks had been
emptied and cleaned with hoses
connected to the cargo tanks indicating
its readiness to load petroleum
products,” he said.
Soyemi said that none of the crew
members had certificate and competency
to serve aboard the merchant tanker
ship.
He warned oil thieves not to sabotage oil
and gas installations in the area and
assured Nigerians that the Navy would
not rest on its oars until illegal
bunkering activities had stopped.
Receiving the suspects and vessels, Mr
Steven Morgan, NSCDC Head of anti-
Vandal Unit, Rivers Command, said that
thorough and forensic investigation
would be carried out on the suspects and
vessels.
He said that the suspects would be
prosecuted if found guilty.
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