4th May, 2018
The Nigerian Army on Thursday handed over a tugboat and a barge, allegedly seized from oil thieves, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Delta.
Spokesman of the commission, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
He did not, however, say whether the suspects were arrested.
Uwujaren stated that the tugboat (MV Omar Success) and the barge (EBIs 1) were allegedly being used for illegal oil bunkering when they were seized.
According to him, the Sector 1, Operation Delta Safe of the Army intercepted the vessels at a creek in Abadiama community of Burutu Local Government Area of the state following a tip-off.
“Speaking at the event, Major Y. J. Yunusa, who represented the Commander, said the tugboat and barge were intercepted on Feb. 1, 2018, while trans-loading suspected illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil.
“Richard Ogberagha, an EFCC operative, who received the exhibits on behalf of the Benin Zonal Head of the commission, Milafia Yakubu, said the EFCC would do a painstaking investigation and ensure that those involved were brought to book,” Uwujaren said.
The latest incident is coming barely three weeks after the Army reportedly handed over three suspected oil thieves to the EFCC in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
The unidentified suspects were said to have been nabbed with a Dangote truck conveying “illegally refined petroleum products”.