2 SUSPECTS ARRESTED BY PERSONNEL OF THE NIGERIAN NAVY OVER ALLEGED CRUDE OIL THEFT IN BAYELSA STATE 12-4-24
By Sadiq Aminu Two spects have been arrested by personnel of the Nigerian Navy over alleged involvement in crude oil theft in Bayelsa State.
Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Soroh, Commodore Sunday Lakan stated this while parading the suspects before newsmen in Yenagoa.
Also seized were one tank and a Mazda vehicle loaded with one thousand three hundred illegally refined products.
The Commander of NNS SOROH Commodore Sunday Lakan explained that the Nigerian Navy in keeping with the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff and the Operation Delta Safe had continued to embark on patrol to combat crude oil theft and other criminal activities within Bayelsa.
Commodore Lakan said acting on credible intelligence that products were being stolen and transported from illegally refined sites the Command dispatched its men to the area and arrested two persons with suspected crude oil stolen from a well head from Biseni area, in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
According to him, the driver of the truck on sighting men of NNS SOROH abandoned the truck and fled, but left the key behind as the truck was arrested and conveyed to the base for further investigation and necessary action.
He stated that while still on patrol, operatives arrested a mazda 323 vehicle with products tied inside sacs suspected to be illegally refined AGO popularly known as diesel and about 1,300 litres of kerosene as two suspects, a man and a woman conveying the products were apprehended.
Commodore Lakan, while emphasizing that thorough investigation would be carried out, gave an assurance that the arrested suspects would be handed over to the appropriate agency for further necessary action.
He urged those involved in illegality to desist while seeking the cooperation of citizens to assist the military in tackling crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and illegal refining because of the damage caused to the country’s economy.
One of the suspects, Mr Nelson Adeh, said he was a driver who carried the products for the lady, from JK4 community to Mbiama in Rivers State before he was arrested and pleaded for forgiveness, vowing to refrain from such illegal business.