Navy hands over boat carrying N11m stolen diesel to EFCC

In a bid to stem the tide of crude theft in the Niger Delta region, the Nigerian Navy said it had handed over a vessel and wooden boat with about 10,000 litres of suspected stolen diesel worth N11 million to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Spokesman of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Port Harcourt, Lt.-Cdr. Hamman Ahmed announced the handover in a statement on Sunday, in Port Harcourt.

The statement quoted the Commander of NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Sanusi Ibrahim as stating that the vessel, MT Purity, was arrested transporting the petroleum product without permit.

Ibrahim said that two crew members of the vessel were also handed over to EFFC to commence further investigation and possible prosecution.

According to him, navy troops during a routine patrol of creeks and waterways on Dec. 2 accosted the vessel carrying diesel believed to have been illegally refined.

“During investigation, we discovered that the vessel manned by two crew members had no competency to justify them serving onboard the vessel.

“Similarly, the vessel had no authorization from both the navy and other relevant government agencies to move petroleum products,” he said.

Ibrahim added that the navy would continue to maintain its zero tolerance on crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism and piracy in the nation’s maritime environment.

Commander Ibrahim however urged the public to continue to assist the navy and other security agencies with information that would lead to arrest of oil thieves and other economic saboteurs.

The statement further stated that the Head of Counter Terrorism and General Investigation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) in Rivers state, David Inyang took delivery of the vessel, wooden boat and suspects.

Inyang assured that the commission would carry out through investigation, adding that if found guilty; the suspects would be arraigned in court.