The Nigerian Navy has arrested two individuals and seized a wooden boat carrying 12,000 liters of stolen diesel in Rivers State. The arrests were made by the Nigerian Navy Ship SOROH (NNS) at the Okarki Water Front in Ahoada West local government area.
Commodore Nanmar Lakan, the NNS Commander, announced the arrests while presenting the suspects to the public on Friday.
He stated, “Still working with intelligence gathering from the good citizens of this country, we received credible information that some people want to move illegally refined AGO, popularly known as diesel from the Okarki River. We dispatched our men here and they made this arrest here with two suspects. The quantity here is estimated 12,000 litres of illegally refined AGO.”
The operation aligns with Operation Delta Sanity’s mandate, which includes combating crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism, and illegal refining sites.
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Commander Lakan urged those engaged in illegal activities to stop, emphasizing the harm such actions cause to society and the nation’s economy.
“The nation is losing a lot economically to these activities, so I advise them to stop. If not, we are determined to rid the entire area of this illegal business they are engaging in,” he said.
He also appealed to the public to cooperate with security agencies by providing relevant information to help tackle crude oil theft. The suspects and the seized diesel will be handed over to the appropriate security agency.
One of the suspects, Mr. Clement Fimeya, admitted to participating in the illegal activity due to a lack of job opportunities and the need to provide for his four children. He pleaded for forgiveness and promised not to engage in such activities again if pardoned.
Commander Lakan reiterated the Navy’s commitment to clearing the waterways of criminals and warned those involved in illegal oil bunkering to desist or face legal consequences.