Barely four days after the members of Joint Task Force named Operation Pulo Shield arrested a serving Assistant Superintendent of Police for alleged bunkering and discovered illegal oil depot in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, officers of the Nigeria Navy have arrested another set of eight persons with over 220 drums of illegally produced diesel.
Parading the suspects who were all youths allegedly engaged by the sponsors of the bunkering business within the Eastern waterways, the Commanding Officer of NNS Victory, Calabar, Commodore Kingdom Itoko said that the suspects were arrested between Igbani station and Parrot island with the products which were to be sold in Calabar.
Commodore Itoko noted that some persons were recently arrested over the same illegal business within the Calabar area and were handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for more investigations to unravel the sponsors of the business and prosecution.
He said that the navy will not relent in ridding the Eastern maritime environment of criminal elements, stressing that bunkering was economic sabotage to the nation.
“I want to tell Nigerians especially those living in Cross River State that we are not resting in our oars in the fight against illegal bunkering and oil theft. On the 21st of December about 6pm my patrol team accosted a Cotonou boat carrying over 220 illegally produced AGO, diesel.
“The culprits arrested will be interrogated and be handed over to EFCC. Our fight against bunkering is intensified even at this festive period; we are not relaxing at all. Nigerians should be assured that the water ways are safe and they can go about their normal businesses,” he said.
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