03 April 2014, Port Harcourt – Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested three suspected crude oil thieves with 55,000 litres of the substance loaded in two trucks.
The State Police Commissioner, Mr. Tunde Ogunsakin, said the suspects, who specialised in pipeline vandalisation, stole the crude oil from Shell oil installation at Elelenwon in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
Ogusakin, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, disclosed that the three oil thieves were arrested on Akpajo Eleme Road on March 28, 2014, by the police monitoring team attached to his office.
He added that the suspects identified as Jonathan Okon (49), Bernard Kingsley (28) and Sunday Onuoha, were loading a third truck before they were apprehended by the police.
“As expected, the arrested suspects tried to evade arrest with tactics and antics, but our men who were very determined to end oil bunkering, especially in Rivers State, overpowered them and impounded their trucks.
“One of the suspects, Jonathan Okon, 49, who hails from Itu Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State claimed to be an auto dealer and also confessed that one of the impounded trucks with registration number XF 869 PHC belongs to him.
“Bernard Kingsley hails from Okpala town in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. He attended Okpaka Primary School in Okpaka Local Government Area of Imo State and married with two children.
“Bernard claimed that the Mack truck, with registration number XA 905 DEG, which he was arrested with, belonged to one Basil and that he (Bernard) was contracted by one Ugwun Amos (still at large) to be his conductor,” Ogunsakin added.
The state police commissioner restated the Rivers State Police Command’s commitment towards fighting oil bunkering and other forms of economic sabotage in the state.
Ogunsakin promised that the suspects would soon be charged to court, adding that a committee set up by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation will determine if the content of the trucks were crude oil.
– The Punch