Suspected pirates are paraded aboard a naval ship after their arrest by the Nigerian Navy at a defence jetty in Lagos August 20, 2013. Commodore Chris Ezekobe, naval commander at the NNS Beecroft, a Lagos naval base, said the four had hijacked the barge and its crew on August 14 on the eastern edge of the Nigerian coast, near the port city of Calabar. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye (NIGERIA - Tags: CRIME LAW MARITIME)
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB), Ibaka has arrested three suspected oil thieves carrying a boat containing crude oil worth N32 million in the state.
The Commanding Officer of the Base, Capt. Uche Aneke disclosed this while handing over the suspects and seized items to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Akwa Ibom Command on Thursday at Ibaka.
Aneke said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday, at about 09:05a.m following an intelligence report about the activities of suspected criminals involved in crude oil theft within the Navy’s area of operations.
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“The necessary support of FOB Ibaka, the Tantita team intercepted and arrested the suspected criminals with a wooden boat discovered to be laden with about 60,000 liters of product suspected to be stolen crude oil.
“Other items recovered from the suspects included outboard engines and a pumping machine.
“Notably as at the time of arrest, the wooden boat had a total of three crew members (all Nigerians).
“The vessel was discovered to have 11 Geepee tanks which were loaded with about 60,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil, the product was overloaded from offshore Ibeno in Akwa Ibom,” Aneke said.
He warned individuals or groups planning to carry out any form of criminality in Nigerian waters or smuggling illegal consignments into or out of Nigeria’s waters, to desist immediately.
Aneke reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to combating maritime crimes in the state under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla.
He said that criminal elements in FOB Ibaka Area under the Eastern Naval Command Area of Responsibility would continue to be detected using advanced surveillance equipment and intelligence.
Receiving the seized items and suspects, Mr Adetona Taiwo, Extractive Industry Fraud Section, Uyo Zonal Directorate, said the commission would further investigate and possibly prosecute the suspects.
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