Ibaka: The Nigerian Navy Shipyard (NNS) Jubilee, on Wednesday, handed over nine suspected oil thieves to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Commander, Commodore Mohammed Manga, informed newsmen in Ibaka that the suspects were apprehended over oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the state.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the suspects were caught on Monday with a wooden boat at an oil platform situated offshore Asabo Oil Field in Akwa Ibom. Commodore Manga stated that the boat and its nine-man crew were intercepted while attempting to illegally siphon crude oil from the platform. The wooden boat and the tools used for the illicit activity were confiscated in accordance with extant regulations and operational procedures.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were engaged in illegal bunkering activities. The practice of illegal oil bunkering is seen as a criminal act that undermines Nigeria’s economic stability and threatens maritime security, causing significant environmental degradation. Commodore Manga emphasized that the navy had intensified its anti-illegal bunkering operations within the state to ensure the safety of the nation’s oil assets.
The base is committed to combating maritime crimes within its area of operations. This arrest is part of sustained operational efforts aimed at actualizing the strategic directives of the Chief of the Naval Staff. Navy patrols are strategically designed to protect critical national assets, safeguard offshore and coastal infrastructure, and secure commercial maritime routes within the operational environment.
The commander issued a warning to those involved in illegal maritime activities to desist immediately, asserting that the navy remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to secure Nigeria’s maritime domain.