The Nigerian Navy has disclosed that its operatives in Delta State arrested a suspected pipeline vandal and five crude oil thieves.
This development was made known by the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Delta, Rear Admiral Abdulahmid Baba-Inna, when the suspects were paraded at the command’s headquarters in Warri.
This was shortly before the suspects were handed over to the Area Commander of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mrs Philomena Anigbogu, for prosecution.
According to Baba-Inna, who was represented by the Base Operation Officer, Navy Commander Samuel Musa, men of the command apprehended the suspected pipeline vandal, identified as Saturday Orogun, around 7.30pm on March 4, 2023.
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It was learnt that the naval FOB operatives at Escravos nabbed Orogun in a speedboat around Otumara Creek in Warri South West Local Government Area on suspicion of pipeline vandalism.
Speaking further, Baba-Inna disclosed that five suspected crude oil thieves were arrested by the FOB Escravos operatives around 11 30 am on March 5, 2023.
He said they were caught at Mina Oilfield Offshore, Escravos with a wooden boat conveying 10 Geepee tanks cumulatively laden with about 45,000 litres of suspected stolen crude oil.
The Navy gave the identities of the oil theft suspects as Taiwo Nelson, Adeyemi Joseph, Iseyemi Olaniran, Edomi Oworiode and Omoniyi Oladun.
According to the Navy, the suspects alongside the boat and the product were “towed to a safe place where the boat was handled appropriately while the suspects were taken to FOB Escravos and subsequently handed over to NNS Delta.”