20th April, 2017
The Nigerian Navy in Lagos on Thursday reiterated its commitment to continue to secure the nation’s waterways for legitimate business to thrive and vowed to deal with unrepentant criminals.
The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Eno Maurice, said this while handing over four boats to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) in Apapa, Lagos.
The seized boats were carrying 972 empty drums and 594 empty Jerry cans which were allegedly used for pipeline vandalism.
He reiterated NNS BEECROFT’s drive to safeguard maritime resources which were part of the navy’s constitutional roles.
“We have cogent intelligence that there are other collaborators that indulge in pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
“The navy,therefore, uses this medium to warn pipeline vandals and other criminal elements, particularly in our maritime environment to turn a new leaf and pursue legal means of livelihood; otherwise the law will catch up on them.
“I advise well meaning Nigerians to give useful information to the navy on all forms of criminality going on in their areas.
“The navy will continue to hunt the economic saboteurs and enemies of the nation,Maurice said.
The Commander said that on April 17, naval personnel arrested four boats at sea along Badagry/Benin Republic route in a village called Jegeme for alleged involvement in pipeline vandalism.
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“A team from the Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Badagry first sighted the boats at anchorage poised for illegal act.
“Assistance was subsequently sought for from BEECROFT to effect arrest.
“Accordingly, patrol boats were sent from NNS BEECROFT to arrest and tow the boats to the base.
“However, the owners of the boats escaped while sighting the naval team.
“As at the time of the arrest, the boats were carrying 972 drums and 594 empty Jerry cans
“There was also three pumping machines, three coils of rubber hoses as well as 14 outboard engines on board the boats,’’ he said.
Eno said that the navy under the leadership of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas, had declared zero tolerance for pipeline vandalism and oil theft.
Receiving the boats, the commandant, NSCDC, Mr Tajudeen Balogun, said investigation would commence, while warning oil thieves to desist from illegality and find legitimate business to do.