Ime Akpan
The Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka in Mbo local government area of Akwa Ibom has arrested eight suspects and seized 501 drums of illegal automotive gas oil, popularly called diesel worth about N35 million.
Parading the suspects in Mbo on Monday, the acting commanding officer, Capt. Reginald Adoki said the diesel was the product of illegal bunkering.
Adoki said the suspected bunkerers were caught based on intelligence report in the early hours of Friday, April 5.
“The boat is suspected to be carrying illegally refined AGO (diesel). The 501 drums which gives you about 150,000 litres of AGO with estimated market between N25 and N35 million,” he said.
He said that the Nigerian Navy intercepted the suspects conveying the product in a boat from Oyorokoto in Rivers along the Calabar channel leading to Oron River.
“We had strong evidence that there was a case of conveying illegally refined AGO, which has definitely been from broken pipes by way of crude oil theft because you need crude oil to refine and be able to get the illegal AGO,” he said.
Adoki described the act as economic sabotage.
Receiving the suspects, the zonal head of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Uyo, Mr. Abdukarim Chukkoh, commended the efforts of the Nigerian Navy for the job.
Chukkoh, who was represented by a chief superintendent of police, Mr. Alex Ebbah, said that suspect would be brought to book.
“We really assure you that we will do our best to ensure that for every crime of this nature, the suspects are brought to book and we will also give you the feedback,” he said.
In his confession, one of the suspects, Mr. Victor Umana from Mbo, said the urge to make a living led him into the crime.
He said he used to transport fish and crayfish.
However, he said he was contacted on phone to transport the product from Rivers State for the sum of N15, 000.
