Ruler, Three Others Nabbed For Illegal Bunkering

A high ranking member of Bayelsa State Council of Traditional Rulers and three of his subjects were yesterday nabbed by the operatives of the Joint Military Task Force code named; Operation Pulo Shield over alleged involvement in the ownership of an unlicensed vessel and the theft of 2,000 metric tonnes of crude oil along the waterways of Akassa community in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

The traditional ruler from Twon Brass, on the third class cadre among the state government ranking of chiefs,was arrested after the security agents arrested the crew which claimed that he was their sponsor.

The Tide gathered that JTF operatives had in the last few days been on the trail of the alleged unlicensed vessel and its owners, following a tip off.

“We discovered that the boys came under the cover of the night and siphoned crude oil from the oil pipelines along the Brass-Sagana River in Akassa area.

“We have discovered that some of these traditional rulers and community heads provide cover and funding for the activities of these oil thieves in Bayelsa. We have started a series of collaboration with communities but we will not spare those directly involved in the illicit trade,” a member of the JTF that made the arrest said.

However, the Media Coordinator of the JTF,Lt.Col. Onyema Nwachukwu claimed that, he was yet to get the details on the arrest, saying “I will get in touch with our men in Sagana area and get back to you.”

Meanwhile, a group,the Ijaw Peoples Development Initiative (IPDI), has called for the review of Federal Government’s position on the battle against illegal bunkering in the region,describing unemployment and poor governance as reasons for rise in oil theft.

The National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Austin Ozobo , in a press statement said “the activities of local refinery operators need to be given legal backing and incentives to improve the quality of their operation so as to provide thousands of jobs for the jobless youths in the country.

L-R:Chairman, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Mr Segun Aina; Senate President, David Mark and Vice Chairman of the Institute, Mr Segun Ajibola, during a courtesy visit to the Senate President in Abuja, yesterday