Navy Releases Two Tankers To NSCDC

The Nigeria Navy’s Ship Pathfinder in Port -Harcourt has handed over two petroleum tankers impounded from illegal oil bunkerers to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further investigations.

Handing over the two tankers in a brief ceremony held at the NNS pathfinder, Rumuolumeni, Rivers State, Friday, the Commander, NNS Pathfinder, Commodore Duja Effedua said the command would continue to evolve strategies that would curb the trend of illegal oil bunkering in the area.

Commodore Effedua, said the operation was the second in the series, that the command hand landed over such things to the NSCDC since he assumed office in the command adding that the tankers were used to carry illegal fuel from on illegal refinery

According to him, the illegal refinery was destroyed during the operation that gave rise to the arrest of the four occupants of the tankers belonging to Oando with registration number XB 788- Bonny.

“Today we are handing over the two tankers to the NSCDC for further prosecution. Somebody in Aba has written to us claiming that his tanker was stolen and we have written him but he refused to a Lawyer, but we will not believe such”

“That story we cannot believe, let him go to court and prove his claim” he stated.

The NNS pathfinder commander further stated that the four oil bunkerers arrested were arrested in an illegal barge  adding that plans have been concluded to hand them over to the EFCC for prosecution adding that even though the  owners of the illegal refinery absconded, his men were able to impound their assets they left behind.

In his own response, the Director, Operations Nigeria security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Rivers State Command, Assistant Commander Suleman Paiko, appreciated the synergy existing between Navy and the state, adding that the corps would not renage in its fight against illegal oil bunkering in the state.

He assured that NSCDC was unwaring and shall prosecute all the cases handed over to the corps from the Navy or  the ones arrested by the corps.

The NSCDC state director of operations averred that four arrested suspects would be charged to court stressing that their resolve in the fight against anti-vandalisation was total and complete.

It would be recalled that the men of NNS pathfinder in separate operation in the month of March  intercepted 105 drums of AGO at Macoba Jetty in Port Harcourt as well as the arrest of four oil bunkerers whose name were given as Mr. Sunday Garba, Mike-Daship Tanka, Igho Ukiri and Emmanuel-Llkita