Mkpoikana Udoma
08 July 2018, Sweetcrude, Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Navy has handed over for prosecution three suspected smugglers arrested on board a ship MT Orbit II, with undisclosed metric tonnes of illegally refined Automotive Gasoline Oil, commonly called diesel, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Navy explained that the vessel and three Nigerian crewmen were arrested on February 5th 2018, at Yellow Platform in Bonny Channel by troops on patrol of waterways, for illegally shipping undisclosed litres of diesel for sale without genuine approval.
Speaking, the Naval Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Bonny, Navy Capt. Suleiman Olorundare, while handing over the suspect to EFCC, said the Navy was winning the war against illegal oil bunkering activities within the Nigerian waterways.
Olorundare said in line with the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ete Ibas, the Navy will not rest until every form of crimes and criminality was eradicated on the Nigerian territorial waters.
He explained that the Department of Petroleum Resources has confirmed that the products on board the vessel were illegally refined products.
According to him, “When our troops boarded the vessel, they demanded the license to lift the petroleum products and the crewmen couldn’t present any document.
“The Navy invited the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, to test the quality of the product.
“DPR in the course of its investigation confirmed the petroleum products to be illegally refined automotive gas oil, diesel.”
Receiving the handover notes of the suspects and vessel from the Navy, Head of Counter Terrorism and General Investigation, EFCC, Mr. David Inyang, commended the Navy for its synergy with the agency.
Inyang, who took over the vessel and the three suspects for prosecution, assured that the suspects would be arraigned in no distant time.