Navy Nabs Eight Suspected Oil Thieves …Moves To Rescue Foreign Abductees

President, Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS), Alhaji Murtala Aliyu, welcoming the Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, to a seminar organised by the Women Association of Quantity Surveyors of Nigeria (WAQSN) in Port Harcourt, recently.

The Nigerian Navy has confirmed abduction of two Ukrainians and two Lithuanians in a vessel, MV Solarte on Bonny waterways by suspected sea pirates in Rivers State.
Commanding Officer, Forward Base Operation, Bonny (FOB), Captain Yah Cashalla Kirpu, who disclosed this to newsmen in Bonny, yesterday, said the vessel, MV Solarte, was rescued by the Navy last Tuesday when the abduction occurred.
He said, the Commanding Officer, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Atiku Abdulkadir, deployed men from the FOB, Bonny and the NNS Centenary for the rescue, adding that efforts were on to rescue the hostages,
According to the FOB commanding officer, they got a distress alert that the vessel was being attacked by the pirates and quickly they got in touch with the Commanding Officer, Eastern Naval command, Rear Admiral Abdukadir, who acted swiftly.
He said eight suspected oil thieves in a barge loaded with 3000 metric tones of illegal crude around Ogubolo creek in Rivers State have also been arrested, adding that they also impounded a speed boat conveying illegal crude on the waters.
Kirpu assured that the FOB, Bonny will continue to make the area uncomfortable for oil thieves.
He said already mariners had intensified policing effort on the waterways ahead of the festive season when oil thieves indulge more in illegal oil bunkering activities.
He said there will be no hiding place for oil thieves anymore.
He further advised mariners to be safety conscious as they go about their operations, stressing that they should avoid sailing close to the shore during dark hours.,
Kirpu also urged them to maintain steady communication with harbour authorities while underway.