Operatives of the Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, have arrested three suspected oil thieves in Ekeremor Local Government of Bayelsa State.
According to reports, the suspects said to be operators of illegal refineries and had two of their boats christened, “Emmanuel”, were rounded up on June 4.
Disclosing this at the weekend, the Flag Officer Commanding, CNC, Rear Admiral Stanley Ogoigbe, said that eight pumping machines allegedly used by the suspects to steal the product were seized by the naval operatives.
Ogoigbe, who handed the suspects to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for prosecution, said they were arrested along the creek of Bilabiri in the west senatorial district of the state.
According to the Naval chief, the suspects were tricked into taking a naval patrol team to an illegal refinery camp in the deep mangrove.
He said their speedboat with the inscription, “Emmanuel”, gave them away as it tallied with another previously recovered by the navy at the illegal refinery camp.
He reechoed the determination of the command and other security agencies to intensify the ongoing war against crude oil theft, pipeline vandalism and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta, soliciting the cooperation of the public in the war against economic sabotage.
