Navy Nabs Crude Oil Theft Suspects

The Nigerian Navy said it has arrested four Niger Delta crude oil thieves who specialize in illegally refining crude oil into automotive gas oil (AGO) even as a total of 85 large drums of such AGO’s were destroyed by the operatives of the Navy and Operation Delta Safe.
Speaking at the weekend at Ataba, Akwa Ibom State, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ibas, commended the youth of the community for providing timely information about the activities of the oil thieves, which led to their arrests and destruction of the illegal AGO.
A statement from Naval Headquarters on the arrests, signed by the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Commodore Christian Ezekobe, said, “In continuation of the clampdown on crude oil thieves and illegal bunkerers, the Chief of Naval Staff has expressed the appreciation of the Nigerian Navy to the gallant youth of Ataba community in Akwa Ibom State for their exemplary conduct.
“The conduct of the youth led to the arrest of four suspected oil thieves with about 70 drums of products suspected to be illegally refined automotive gas oil (AGO).
“The youth alerted the operatives of NNS Jubilee in the state on the activities of the suspects.
“To this end, the CNS urges other youth in the Niger Delta to emulate the patriotic act of the Ataba youth, which is a testimony of the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to strengthen community relations in the current effort to eliminate all forms of economic sabotage and crimes in the maritime areas.
“In another development, the patrol team of NNS Pathfinder, located at Rumuolumeni, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, under the maritime component of Operation Delta Safe intercepted and destroyed 15 drums of products suspected to be illegally refined AGO at Iyokiri and Ache-Ama communities of Isaka near Port Harcourt, in Rivers State.
“The drums were conveyed in a boat by the suspected bunkerers who fled on sighting the Naval patrol team,” the statement added.