By Moses Patience Chat
The Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS DELTA, has impounded a sewage disposal truck and a barge, Motor Vessel (MV) Amangwu, containing stolen crude oil at Okpaka Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State.
The Commander of NNS DELTA, Chindo Yahaya, said this on Tuesday in Warri, while briefing reporters on the incident. Yahaya, who was represented at the briefing by the Base Operations Officer of NNS DELTA, Samuel Musa, said that four suspects were arrested. He also said that the operation was conducted on 12 May, around 4:45p.m., with the Joint Task Force (JTF), Sector 1 Headquarters at Effurun, Delta State.
The Navy official also revealed that the truck was laden with an unspecified quantity of suspected stolen crude oil, adding that the truck driver abandoned the truck and fled.
However, according to Yahaya, an intelligence source revealed that the stolen crude oil was to be delivered to storage tanks at Mawe Services Environmental Solutions in the same Okpaka area. The Naval officer said that a patrol team visited the area and discovered two storage tanks with an unspecified quantity of suspected stolen crude oil. He said that further investigation revealed that the stolen crude oil was loaded from a barge, Motor Vessel (MV) Amangwu, at Tantan Company Yard in the same Okpaka area.
According to him, four operators in the yard were arrested and transferred to a detention facility at Sector 1 for further investigation. Yahaya warned individuals who are involved in crude oil theft and other forms of criminal act in the maritime space to desist henceforth. He added that NNS DELTA would not rest on its oars in apprehending criminals in her areas of operation.
