Navy Arrests 19 Suspects, Recovers 5 Boats, 168 Drums Of AGO

 

   Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) on Wednesday arrested 19 suspected oil thieves including two women and recovered five boats laden with 168 drums of 300 litre each of AGO. The arrests were made by a team comprising operatives from Naval Headquarters and Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder around Bakana creeks, a notorious hideout for the syndicate engaged in illegal refining of petroleum products.

    The team which was conducting select journalists on educational tour of Niger Delta creeks to showcase efforts of the NN in combating the menace intercepted the boats at different locations along the Bakana river which empties into the Atlantic ocean. Among the suspects were Okechuwkwu Echelonu, Gift Emmanuel, Justina Patani, Moses Elijah, Emmanuel Manase, Joshua Ahi, Lucky Sam and Iliyasu Ibrahim.

   Leading a convoy of five boats to the creek for on-the-spot assessment of an illegal refinery camp destroyed by the Navy last December, the Director Naval Information (DINFO) Commodore Suleiman Dahun and Base Operation Officer (BOO) Commander Muritala Rogo patrolled adjoining channels of the river where some of the boats were recovered. The Nation reports that upon sighting the naval gunboats, three of the suspects in two different boats dived into the river unclad, abandoning their boats and cargo.

   Twelve of the suspects comprising 10 men and two women on three boats claimed they were working for one Madam who’s based in Port Harcourt. Prior to the tour to the creek, Commander Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) PATHFINDER Commodore Sam Bora who addressed journalists by the jetty said the security situation in the base’s area of operation (AOO) could best be assessed as unpredictable, attributing same to upsurge in agitations from various militant groups and conducts of some desperate politicians.

  “These groups in their desperation to acquire power at all cost use dubious means including employment of thugs to threaten the peaceful political climate as well as safety and security of lives and properties in the state. The fall out of this reprehensible conduct is the recent cases of reported killings and kidnappings perpetrated by cult groups and other criminals in the state.

THE NATION